Avoidance
by InbredSuzy
Summary: Inuyasha must avoid the new moon every month. Doing his best to keep his reasons a secret, he gains the interest of a certain Flight Attendant named Kagome. This romantic comedy is told through the eyes of Inuyasha & Kagome as this fic unfolds around them
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Oi, Minna! Yes, this is a new fic! I know, you're asking yourself, "Why is she starting another one when she's got enough on her plate as it is?" Well, here's why. The idea for the fic just came about suddenly, and I'm not sure as to where it's going to go at this point. Also, this fic is a first for me in the sense that it will mainly be written in first person perspective, through Inuyasha's mind and eyes as things happen around him. So, let's just sit back and enjoy what I come up with, k?

**Avoidance: Chapter 1**

_Sigh_ Tonight's the night. The night I will never see. Why? Because I have to avoid seeing it. One night a month. One dreaded feeling I feel I need to avoid because of what I become. What happens to me isn't normal, least not for me. It's just one damn night a month! Why should I live through hell for one night a month? Why do I have to live through torture you ask? Because I am half-human. Yes, only half. What is the other half you ask? Definitely not something of my choice, but I'd rather have had my human half be all of what other I am. Yes, folks, my other half is dog demon.

Tsch…How did that happen, you ask? Well, it's simple. My father fell for a human woman. Yes, it was my father's fault I have to suffer once a month. Geeze, I sound like a girl going through pre menstrual syndrome. Nice, huh? _shakes head_ Oh well, there's nothing I can do but make the best of it. So, what do I do? I travel. Yes, travel. I travel west until the next night comes along. I refuse to see the darkness on that night every twenty-eight days. It's just not fair, ya know.

Thankfully, I have the means to do this. And how do I hide this mystery about myself as I cloak my demon features every day? I stay out of the lives of others. I never allow anyone to get too close to me. I make sure I say only what needs to be said, and that I never get too attached to anyone as well. Otherwise, others would learn of my fear. My fear of becoming blinded, deafened and senseless for just a few hours. My fear of becoming fully human while the stars are the only lights in the sky.

While the moon vacations, so must I but on the run from it. I must follow the sun to avoid my transformations. When I had them while I was a kid, I was scared the whole time. You may not think it to look at me, but I was born during the times of Japan where no calendar existed. Yes, over four hundred years ago. After four hundred years, I still look to be in my twenties. Not bad, huh? Yes, that is another reason why I stay out of other people's lives and avoid them all the same. My age. I do not age as a normal person would. I have looked the same for over a century.

I even have been called the hermit living in the estate at the top of the tall hill behind the old shrine grounds in the outskirts of Tokyo. The shrine has been abandoned for many years now. The shrine of the Goshinboku and the well that was dedicated to my life. No, I don't tend to the shrine. Why would I? All the monks who'd resided from that ancient village have all died away. I just live by myself in the old estate about a mile into the forest beside the shrine.

I inherited this estate when my father past on. My older half brother disappeared after that, so I'm stuck here. With no one to take care of me. It's not so bad though. I cloak myself to go out shopping, and to take care of business and then go home to an empty and quiet house where I reside with my loneliness. Just me, myself and I.

I know you're curious about what the shrine and the well have to do with me, right. Well, it's due to the fact that I was once pinned to that tree. The Goshinboku protected me for over fifty years. I fell into a trap over some stupid jewel and some demons that were hungry for revenge. Revenge from the miko who had prevented so many of them from acquiring said jewel. The only miko who could purify the ball of hatred and purity, Kikyo.

The demons that were after her ate the body and soul of a bandit she took care of and took my form to destroy the love she and I had. Those wretched demons took my face and attacks to kill her and betray me with her face as well. All just to taint that stupid piece of purity and hatred on a string. And what did it get them? Oblivion and years of wandering for me, but death for the miko who fell for me for no reason. I was released a hundred years later when the legend had faded, and I had become engulfed in roots from the Goshinboku. One curious miko released me before anyone could recall what had happened to me. So, therefore, my story had faded until I appeared before those descendants to give them the story once again.

And so, here's the shrine. The well is here because it was made out of the time tree. Therefore, the villagers would throw the remains of the demons killed over the centuries into it, and they would disappear. Where they went, no one ever knew. But the two are connected, so they are a part of the story. Have I ever jumped in it you ask? Never. No way. I am half demon. Who knows where the well may send me. Or worse yet, when.

And here I am today, the eve of the New Year and I am stuck on a jet going west. Yes, one hell of a trip, but it's worth it. The plane isn't too full, thankfully. Especially since, I will only be on the plane with only a couple short stops from Japan to the United States. Then I will once again board another plane back to Japan almost instantly after I land. Just to keep from the sunset. I must hit the next day without seeing night. I must avoid the transformation.

I chose to sit in the first window seat all the way in the front of the plane to avoid any conversations with other passengers. Not many people choose to fly from Japan to America with only a few short stops, but I must if I am to remain what I am now.

_Over the intercom_, "Welcome to Brussels. We will be landing shortly, so please raise your tray tables and fasten your seatbelts as we decline in attitude for landing. Thank you for flying Air-Europe"

_Sigh_ Now I must catch the next plane west. This gets rougher and rougher each month. The flight attendants have all been starting to get friendly seeing as they have been asking me more questions lately. One in particular. Kagome Higurashi. The first time I saw her was about a few months ago. The other flight attendants mentioned my travels and she got curious. I have no idea why she's so curious, but the flight back to Japan is the one I dread the most. She travels at almost the same time I do every month. So far, it's been impeccable. Almost as if, she's choosing her flights to my pattern.

_flashback_

I had just finished my in flight meal and was ready for some rest and relaxation. Ah, yes. Reclining seats in first class are the best way to fly. After a couple seconds of adjusting myself, I reached over and grabbed the blanket from the seat next to me. As I settled beneath the soft warmth, I heard something annoying.

"Psst…Kagome, come here for a second…" My cloaked ears twitch and reposition themselves to catch the words.

"What is it?" She asked as she left the passenger she was waiting on and headed towards the last row and then through the curtains. I remained still and my eyes closed in relaxation.

"Did you see the guy in the front? Ya know the one in the window seat?" A flight attendant asked.

"Yeah. What about him?" Kagome replied with a shrug.

"Well, we saw you chatting with him last time. Do you know him?"

"No. I just asked him if he was traveling on business or pleasure since I had seen him on a few flights since I started."

"What did he say?" She asked with enthusiasm.

"He said it was mainly business which was none of mine." Kagome shrugged.

"Oh. Nothing more than that? Has he said anything to you this time around?"

"Nope. He comes off as sort of grumpy. He's got a bit of an attitude problem." Kagome spat.

"So you're just gonna let his bad attitude get to you?" The attendant asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"It's really none of my business. If you're so intrigued, then why don't you give him a try?" Kagome said sarcastically as she turned her back to the other attendant and stepped back through the curtain.

I heard everything. My first thought was, 'Good. It's working.' The chip on the shoulder impression works every time. It's only natural that when approached with such a horrible attitude, the first instinct is to turn away and forget you ever tried to talk to that person. I just smirked, took a deep breath and snuggled tighter under my blanket.

Through the rest of the flight, Kagome only said, "Hello," and "Goodbye."

_End of Flashback_

You see, at that point, I thought I had chased her off with the angered look and the attitude. Ah, yes. I had nothing to worry about this time around. I had nipped that problem in the bud, or so I thought.

(Sneeze) "Damn!" I said as another sneeze hit me full on. "This sucks!" I moaned to no one in particular.

"You all right? Would you like some tissue?" Came from the aisle. I turned to eye the box of tissues that was being held by 'Damnit!' Kagome.

"Don't bother." I said as I ran my finger under my nose and sniffled. After I wiped my finger off on my shirt, she gained a disgusted look that even I could see from the side of my eye. "What?" I asked with a look of annoyance.

"It's just...I'm sure you don't want to get sick again. Plus, that behavior is childish for a grown man such as you. Not very happenin' with the ladies." She explained.

"And what makes you think I'd be interested in women?" I shot back without looking at her.

"Oh. I see. I'm sorry I mentioned it." She replied as she started to walk away.

I thought on what she had just said for a few seconds. Then it hit me. I stood from my seat and turned her to face me. "Don't you think that! Not even for a second!"

"Think what?" Kagome asked innocently.

"I'm not gay, that's what!" I spat.

"Oh. Then what are you?" Kagome asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"None of your business." I spat. She gained a rather frustrated look on her face as she huffed and stomped away down the aisle and through the curtains.

As I turned around, I noticed the other passengers were paying attention to what just happened. "Mind your own business!" I spat and sat back down in my seat.

Even though I was quiet after I sat down, I felt their eyes boring through my skull. I tried my best to ignore it, but after a few minutes, I was able to count every eye. "Will you stop staring?" I shouted over my shoulder. They all gasped and looked away in fear. 'Damn, this is gonna be one hell of a loooong flight. Maybe I shouldn't have taken it this time around.'

Soon after that little outburst, I heard stomping that stopped at the end of my aisle as I was rifling through my carry-on bag. Once I got a hold of my hand-held, I noticed a new pair of eyes glaring at me from the side. I glanced that way for a second and saw nothing as my eye ended up being hit with something. I grunted as I touched my eye and felt something round and wet had slid down to my cheek. After I affectively rubbed my eye, I sent a nasty glare at the kid who blew the spitball at me

"Why do you have to be so mean?" the kid spat and ran off.

I pulled the neck of my shirt up and wiped the offensive saliva off my cheek and started going about playing my hand-held and ignoring the claps the kid's parents gave to congratulate the little worm. After that incident, they left me alone, seeing as my sick body was not only grouchy beyond belief, but also toxic. Ah, peace and "Achoo!" quiet...(Sniffle)

Finally, I got off that plane back home. As I was walking at my own pace through the tunnel leading up to the terminal, I was hit from behind and knocked into the wall. I stopped with a grunt to see that it was Kagome who had 'brushed past me'.

"What flew up her ass?" I asked aloud as I started walking again. I watched her as I continued on my way through the airport 'til she entered a closed-off room through a door marked 'Airport Personnel Only'. I clicked my tongue and continued.

Once I arrived at the ticket counter, I paid for my next 'round the world' trip and left on my way home.

* * *

Well now, that was fun to write for me. I have another chapter written out and another on the way as I type this out. So, if you liked what you read here, then please let me know. If I hear you guys enjoy this story and the concept, then I will continue to post more, okay? Thanks again for stopping by! Ja ne for now! 


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Yes, I know I said I would wait to release another chapter, but I am close to finishing the third chapter, and the first one was shorter than I thought. You see, I'm writing them out manually. You know, on paper. And so, the chapters seem so long when they're shorter than I thought on the computer. So, I will be trying my best to keep getting these chapters out as often as possible. So, sit back and enjoy the next chapter.

**Avoidance: Chapter 2**

"Here I go again..." I sighed to myself. Man, these flights around the world are getting taxing to not only the pocketbook, but also on the body. I was never really one who loved to travel, but I wanted to do all I could to avoid those monthly changes. I refuse to cower in the corner like a weakling.

So, I do what I must. I travel. What sucks is I have to put up with the strange looks from the questioning idiots who can't mind their own business and the fact that sometimes, flights might either be delayed due to weather or terrorist attacks. Yeah, you heard what I said, terrorist attacks. They are rare, but always a possibility.

One winter, I actually ended up causing an uproar when my flight was delayed in the U.S. due to weather. Well, I ended up stranded in the airport. Since I was bored as all hell and the battery went dead in my handheld, I fell asleep. Well, needless to say, the sun set right before I awoke, and I transformed into a human right before everyone's eyes. I ended up hiding in a tree about a mile away for the rest of the night and then flying back a month later. Hey, it was more convenient _shrug._

I will never forget that night. I screamed just as loud as the woman who was the first to notice the changes taking place. Obviously, everyone thought their eyes were playing tricks on them 'cuz they never said anything since the incident. Yes, even the airport personnel were aware of my change.

Oh well, other than that time, if I found out I wasn't going to make the flight on time, or that there was to be a delay, then I just did what I could. It sucks, because I end up sitting all night in a tree, in the bushes in someone's yard, or a hotel if I could find one. Hotel stays for me are generally easy if I am pre-warned in enough time to book a room before my transformation. That way, I can use my passport. As soon as I lose the gold eyes and the silver hair, I become someone else entirely in looks. I swear, even my cheeks bones change slightly.

As I sat in my seat waiting for the plane to take off, I noticed more people around me. This month's trip was a long one so far. With it being after the holidays, more people were traveling on business trips paid for by their employers. Meaning, less in coach, more in first class. Along with the new developments in computer technology and hand-held gadgets, many of my fellow citizens were traveling to the U.S. and the Americans were following me home. This was something I expect though. People after the holidays traveling to spread the news on the new products they would come up with for the next Christmas. Geeze! Didn't Christmas just pass? Give it a rest!

_Sigh_ Oh well, I guess I have to grin and bear it. As I look over my shoulder, I notice the only seats empty are the two beside me. This time around, the window seat was taken already. I was so upset when I found out. I asked to get the one next to it, but that one was reserved as well. So I ended up with an aisle seat this time around. I waited impatiently as passengers one by one filed onto the plane. I started tapping my fingers and my feet as it neared the time for take-off. I looked at my watch. Ten minutes left.

"Please, please...Let them miss the flight..." I said quietly to myself. As I puffed air through my lips, I suddenly noticed someone step up beside me with a gasp. I looked to the body beside me and up to see a woman with a look of disappointment on her face.

"Well, I guess this will have to do. C'mon, Kenny." the woman said as she directed her son past my feet to sit beside me as she stuffed her purse and carry-on bag in the compartment above me.

I scoffed silently to myself as my face gained a look of discomfort. Not only will I be stuck on this flight for 13 hours, but next to a kid? In first class? I rested my elbow on the armrest and my face in the palm of my hand. Damnit. 13 hours next to a kid who was more than likely going to want my attention and will annoy me the whole time.

As I sat and contemplated how I was going to get through this one sanely, I felt a pair of eyes burn through me. "What?" I grunted without looking at him.

"You're not from here, are you?" the runt asked.

I turned my eyes to look at him as I lifted my head from the cradle of my hand and replied with,"No, course not." in a sarcastic tone.

"You look weird. Are you old?" The kid asked.

I smirked as I replied with, "Yes. Can you guess how old I am?"

"50!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

I laughed aloud. The kid was surprised by my reaction to his joke, which was supposed to be a retort. I stopped laughing and looked to him with a wide smirk when I pointed my thumb upwards. The kid just guessed again. "60?" My thumb gestured upwards again, gaining his reaction of, "You've got to be kidding!"

I snickered as I leaned towards him and whispered in his ear my true age. He gasped and looked at me as I flashed my ears. The kid screamed loudly, startling everyone as the plane finally took off. The kid remained quiet the rest of the flight and the mother switched seats with the kid because he was afraid of me. Ah. I gained a bit of peace so that I could sleep for a few hours.

_Dream Sequence_

I was stranded again, only this time; it was on a plane, which was grounded due to a highjacking. Of course, just my luck, I end up on the flight with the assholes asking for demands. I did what I could to beat the crap outta the jackasses, but due to the windows being locked shut, I didn't see the sun set outside. So, needless to say, I transformed in the midst of kicking ass. Once the highjackers noticed, they jumped me.

_(Meanwhile, it's dinner time on the plane and the stewardesses are wheeling the meal carts down the aisles.)_

I was doing what I could to fend them off and protect the other idiots on the flight with me, when one of the jerks brought out a bat from outta nowhere. All I saw next was a bat coming at me. I ducked, but then he dodged my punch and slipped behind me...

**_Bash!_** "AH!" I exclaimed as I was knocked from my seat, literally.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" the flight attendant asked as she stepped around the meal cart and saw whom she had smacked with it. "Oh, it's you." She said sarcastically as she knelt beside the man she least looked forward to seeing.

I shook my head as I regained consciousness. As soon as my eyes focused, I saw her. That woman who gave me grief the month before. I saw the meal cart behind her and became angered. Then I realized I was hit by that metal meal cart.

"You rammed that thing into me! Can't you look where you're going with that thing?" I shouted as I pointed with my free hand while the other held my aching brain in place.

"Well, excuse me! I didn't see your 'attached head' drooping over your armrest!" Kagome spat as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"If you continue to treat your passengers with such negligence as you're treating me, then I'm sure you'll never work on another plane anywhere!" I shouted as I looked at my hand that was covering the wound to see it spotted with blood. Just as I did that, I heard gasps from the passengers near me. "He's bleeding" was said by the boy I freaked out earlier.

At that comment, my gaze rose to the woman before me. "What?" she asked as she leaned back on her feet. I turned my hand to show her the evidence of her stupidity. She gasped, covered her mouth and then bowed her head in shame for a moment.

"Well? Are ya gonna clean up this mess, or what?" I asked with an angry look in my eyes.

She looked at me with apologetic eyes and then helped me stand with her. She held my arm as she put her hand on the back of my right shoulder and she then saw the red spot amongst my thick mane of silver hair. "Okay, let's get you cleaned up."

Since I was a bit woozy, I let her direct me to the back of the plane towards the bathroom. When she and I arrived in the service area, she sat me in one of the seats as she reached for the first aid kit.

"Kagome, what happened? Is everything okay?" one of the other flight attendants asked as she saw me sitting in the chair with my hand to my head.

"I just had a slight accident with the meal cart. Can you distribute the rest of the food for me?" Kagome asked as my eyes shifted up to watch her pull out gauze and bandages for me.

"Sure." The other woman replied as she slipped between the curtains, leaving the two of us alone. Once she had all the necessities set out, Kagome sat down beside me and angled my head to look at the wound. She removed my bloodied hand and wiped it off quickly with a wet wipe.

"Okay, let's look at the damage." She said in a sigh as she turned my head a bit and began to part my hair. I hissed at every movement as she searched for the wound.

"Ah! Careful!" I spat with a hiss as she found the gaping hole.

"Oh, you poor thing. It's just a small gash." She cooed as she turned my face to eye her as she tsk'd me and frowned.

"Shut up! It hurts!"

"Sure...Big boy can't handle a wittle bit o' pain...," she cooed as she tapped my cheeks playfully.

"Bitch..." I muttered under my breath. She stopped the act and jerked my head to the side as she ripped some paper behind me and pressed something to the back of my head over the wound. "Ow! Can't you be a little gentler than...?" I started but stopped suddenly as I reached back to the wound and felt it. She had slapped a band-aid to the back of my head, matting my hair in it.

"There, all better. Now be a good boy and get back to your seat, okay?" she chirped, got up from her seat and started putting away the rest of the materials on the counter as I sat in my seat growling at her. She stopped suddenly and looked at me. "What?" she asked innocently.

"You stuck a band-aid in my hair!" I seethed as I made sure to flex my fingers to give her a glimpse of my talons and sneered to show my fangs.

"Yeah. Don't worry, you'll live." She replied with a shrug as she continued to clean up.

I made a grumpy face as I stood from the chair and then stepped up behind her to whisper a comment in her ear when suddenly, the plane rocked from turbulence. I ended up catching her from behind as she lost her balance a bit while reaching up to a high cabinet.

She gasped and the first aid kit flipped from her hands and spilled it's contents on the floor. Once the motion stopped and the plane stabilized, she looked over her shoulder at me. I took my hands from her shoulders as she righted herself. She turned around and leaned against the counter to gather her wits as I eyed her flushed face.

"I'm sorry about that." She apologized kindly as she knelt to pick up the mess on the floor. I knelt down a moment later and grabbed some of the items that had rolled out of her reach. Once we had all the items replaced into the container, she thanked me again.

"It's not a problem." I shrugged as we stood. I watched her put the container into the cabinet. When she turned around, I suddenly gained butterflies in my stomach. I touched the band-aid out of habitual nervousness and hissed in pain again as I noticed a slight bump had formed.

"Well, I'll get back to my seat." I said as I turned quickly and left through the curtains before she could respond. As I walked down the aisle towards the front of the plane, I felt eyes on me. I took a glance at a mirror a passenger was holding up and I saw her standing between the curtains watching me out of concern. I smirked at her expression as I then stepped through the curtains leading into first class.

A few hours later, the plane finally landed. As the passengers and I all filed off through the tunnel, I felt eyes on me again. I checked the hat I set on my head earlier from my bag to cover the band-aid to make sure it was covered. Good, it's still outta sight.

"Hey!" I heard a feminine voice call out behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Kagome waving at me. I stepped through the door to the terminal and then off to the side. She stepped over once she had emerged from the tunnel.

"What is it?" I asked as she came to me.

"I'm really sorry about what happened on the plane. I really didn't aim for your head. I honestly didn't see you." She said innocently.

I eyed her skeptically as I replied with, "Really...I hope you really mean it. 'Cuz if you're just hoping to stop me from leaving a comment of bad service provided by you on this flight, then you'd might as well forget it."

She scoffed, "I can't believe you just said that to me! Even after I took care of you!"

I pointed to my head as I spat out, "You call matting my hair up in a band-aid 'taking care of me?'"

"Yes! I coulda just left you bleeding and not helped you at all!" Kagome spat at me with a look of contempt.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, that's just what ya did! Nothing!" I shouted back at her.

I stood with my arms crossed and glared at her, as her face got redder by the moment. I could tell the teapot was about to boil over when she scoffed and walked away, sending mad glances my way every few steps. I just held my stance and expression as she eventually walked out of sight. When she had finally disappeared, I sighed in relief and gained a bored look as I made my way to the ticket counter to book my next trip for the following month.

Sure, you may think me an ass after all that happened on that plane, but those butterflies scared me. Yes, I did truly appreciate her caring for me, but she apologized sweetly. If she hadn't done that, everything would've been fine. You see, not only do I have a fear of my transformations, but also falling in love with some girl is the last thing I need. I know she'd never understand. Best to keep her mad at me. That way, she'll never want me near her. Ever. That is my curse. My blanket of security. Loneliness.

* * *

Well, there it is. The second chapter. Yes, I have been posting the chapters one right after another rather quickly. In fact, much more quickly than the others. Why? Simply because I typed up these chapters ahead of time to make sure that I had something going that was going to continue. I've had quite a problem with a couple of my fics which were very similar to writer's block and I wanted to be able to have these chapters ready and waiting to be posted ahead of time so that I could post these without putting it in the way of the other fics. Well, I certainly hope you're enjoying this fic as much as I'm enjoying Inuyasha's antics and how he's trying to keep Kagome out of his 'hair'. Thanks for the reviews and your comments. 'Til next time! Ja ne! 


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, here's the next chapter. It's longer than the other two, so that should help with story development. I know, it seems there isn't a plot, but I'm sure it'll present itself to us all at some point soon here. So, sit back and enjoy what Inuyasha has to offer this time around, k?

**Avoidance: Chapter 3**

_Sigh_ The next trip comes up. Two full days of travel. Running from nothing but myself. Will this ever get any easier? Tsch...Who knows?

As far as the flying home is concerned, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't ride in the cargo hold. That woman is getting on my nerves. Yeah, her. That Kagome flight attendant. So far, it seems she takes the same flight schedule as I do. I don't think it's on purpose, but it's unnerving enough. Really makes me wonder, ya know?

_Sigh_ The way she was with me the last time scared me because there's no way I'm about to let a woman get under my skin. No matter how nice she is who she is, or...Keh! Who gives a shit if she's pretty, gentle at times, and has a sweet voice...AW! What has happened to my head? I have to get her off my mind.

_Sigh_ Yes, it's true. I thought about her a lot since that last flight. Sure, she was a bitch when the moment called for it (which turned me on more than any thing) but when she realized she had truly hurt me, I saw pain in her eyes. Ya know, the kind of pain I least expected to see. You see, what I saw in her eyes all the times she looked at me differently was...Oh, how can I explain it? Honestly, whatever it was I saw, it surprised me, scared me, and piqued my curiosity. Honestly, makes me wanna get to know her better and find out what she's got locked away in that soul of hers.

Me, Tsch...Who would give a rat's ass about a jerk like me? I pride on my being a jerk because it keeps them all away. And no, it's not my 'security blanket'. I'd rather call it my alias _smirks_. Yeah, my alias. You don't wanna know who I am when I'm normal. Trust me. I'd lose your respect. Wait...When did I ever care about that? _Shrug_ Never mind, it's not important anyways.

Moving on, as I sat and waited a bit earlier in the little cafe not too far from the terminal, I saw her. I watched her through the corner of my eye. She was dragging her little carry-on bag beside her as she stepped up to the counter to order a meal. I found myself not being able to take my eyes off her. She was really sweet and polite in how she approached the cashier. The thought that went through my mind was, 'Her voice is kinda soothing...'

Just as quickly as that thought hit my lower regions, I took my eyes away, panting. I didn't realize it. I was actually staring at her. My jaw was slack and I couldn't tear my eyes away. "Fuck." I whispered to myself as she turned my way, unaware that I was just ogling her. As she stepped closer, eyes looking for an empty table (which there wasn't one), I began to quickly gather my garbage to move.

"Oh, hi." She said from behind me.

I stopped and turned to look up at her. The expression on her face was kind and not harsh in any way. A small and friendly smile graced her lips. "Hi." I replied as I sat back and relaxed.

"Can I sit with you? You don't have to move." Kagome asked.

I looked around and noticed that there was nowhere to sit and I'd end up standing the rest of the next two hours. "I guess. You sure you wanna share a table with me?"

"Why not?" She asked as she took the seat opposite me.

"Just curious. We're not exactly getting along at this point." I pointed out, gaining a shrug out of her as she put her straw in her drink.

"Well, true. But I know you're not really an asshole."

"Huh?" I asked in shock.

"You're not. Yeah, I figured you out."

"Sure, that's what you'd like to believe." I replied sarcastically as I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"You're keeping me away on purpose." She replied as she blew a little on her hot soup.

"And how would you conclude that?" I asked curiously.

"You didn't leave a comment on my service last time. Even though I smacked ya over the head, you withheld your complaint. Why?" She pointed out.

"Tsch...Don't get your hopes up." I spat as I looked away again and continued with, "They were outta comment cards."

At that reply, I heard something pleasant. She laughed and as she clapped her hands, her spoon sank into her hot soup. I cocked my eyebrow as she laughed, not paying attention to the fact that she had just lost her spoon in the scalding hot soup. She stopped when she noticed I wasn't laughing. When she cleared her throat, she followed my gaze to see that she had lost her spoon.

She pouted as she realized she would end up burning her fingers if she tried to get it. She then looked at me. I passed her a 'Why me?' look and shrugged as I pulled her tray towards me, dipped my un-used spoon into it and I then lifted the hot spoon out of the liquid. I then set the un-used spoon on the tray and slid it back to her as I proceeded to lick the dirty spoon I just took out of her soup.

She sat and watched me lick the spoon clean, entranced with a strange look on her face. I stopped licking and shot my eyes to hers, causing her to clear her throat and pick up the spoon, I gave her. I finished cleaning off the spoon and set it down onto the tray with a smirk.

"Was it good?" Kagome asked sarcastically.

I shrugged, "It was okay." I replied as I acted as if the soup I had just eaten wasn't the same as she was eating at that moment.

"As in what? Looks like you ate the same soup." Kagome pointed out as she looked at me over her scalding spoonful she was blowing on.

"Yeah, with that same spoon you're eating it with." I said with a smirk.

She stopped swallowing as it hit her and her eyes went wide. I watched with a satisfied look on my face as she slipped the empty spoon out of her mouth, set it down and picked up the sandwich she ordered with the bowl of soup. As she was about to take a bite, I clapped and started laughing. "What?" she asked, still holding the sandwich in her right hand.

I stifled my laugh just enough to look away and gesture towards her soup as I struggled to say, "I was just fucking with you. I didn't use that spoon. I used another one. But, that one did hit the floor."

"Oh, okay. I was wondering why you didn't use it." She replied as she set down the sandwich and started to eat the soup once again.

I stilled as I watched her knock off what I had just told her and continued eating with the spoon, which did in fact hit the floor. Too bad, it had outlasted the 5-second rule. Why would she risk eating with it? Now I'm confused.

Kagome slipped the spoon into her mouth and closed her eyes; moaning as if she was enjoying it even more. "Does it taste better using a spoon covered in shoe scuff?" I asked to see what her reaction would be.

"No. I'm just glad it doesn't have your germs on it." Kagome stated.

I tried to come up with a comeback, but she had me there. "Well, I guess there's no chance at kissing you then?" I threw out to see what her reaction would be.

"What are you getting at?" She asked over a spoonful of soup.

"Nothing." I spat as I started to gain a bored look.

"You like me, don't you?" Kagome took a stab.

"What? No!" I shot back.

Kagome laughed as she set the dirty spoon down on her tray. "You are such a bad liar!"

"I am not! You know nothing about me!" I spat back.

Kagome pointed as she replied with, "I see how you look at me. Admit it, you softy."

"I aint admitting anything, and I aint no softy!" I spat, trying to regain my masculinity...Whatever was left of it.

"And what's wrong with being a softy? Girls like soft and gentle men. Not the brash ass holes I run into every day." Kagome stated as her resolve deflated a bit.

"What just happened to you? It's as if you got off that burner you were sitting on." I pointed out.

"Nothing." She stated as she went back to eating with the dirty spoon.

"Sure. You think I'm gonna fall for that one?" I asked sarcastically. She stopped eating her soup and shifted her eyes to gaze upon mine. "You hiding something?" I asked.

She swallowed her helping and replied with, "Nothing you should be concerned with," as she wiped her mouth out of nervousness.

"Does it have anything to do with those 'brash guys' you meet every day?" I asked.

"No." She replied simply.

"Someone hurt you?" I asked, not realizing how serious my tone had gotten. Her eyes shot to mine suddenly. "Who was it?"

She looked away as she replied with, "No one."

"Who?" I pressed again as I leaned closer over the table. She looked down at her fidgeting hands, her breath hitched in her throat. I kept my gaze trained on her as she tossed it over in her mind. After a few moments, she looked at her watch and gasped.

"What?" I asked.

"I have to get on the plane!" She exclaimed.

"You what? We've got an hour." I replied, looking at the digital clock across from me on the far wall.

"I have to get on now to prepare for the passengers" Kagome replied as she hurriedly packed up her sandwich.

"You need help with anything?" I asked as she threw her purse over her shoulder and reached over her chair for her luggage. I grabbed the garbage and tossed it away for her. As I turned around, I saw her fumbling with her luggage, trying to get it around her chair. I sighed and lifted the chair so she could pull it out and get on her way. As I set the chair down, I turned to find her still standing the, looking at me.

I looked at her for a second and asked, "What? Thought you had to get on the plane."

"I just wanted to thank you and say it was a pleasure eating with you." She said as she bowed her head.

"Oh. You're welcome. Now get going before I get used to you." I spat as I turned to sit back down. After I took my seat, I heard her footsteps and rolling luggage leave as she walked off towards the terminal door.

I looked and watched her fumble for her ticket info and I.D. At that moment, I looked at the person who stopped beside me. The man bent over suddenly. I looked down and saw her ID. "Must have fallen out of her purse when she walked away." I said aloud as I got it from the man who picked it up and then called out to get her attention.

As she heard my voice, she looked over to see her badge in my hand. She sighed and waved me over. When I reached her, I immediately handed it to her and she set it on the counter. "Thank you." She said to me over her shoulder as the woman scanned her badge. Once the woman allowed her to go in, Kagome turned to me and set out her hand.

"What?" I asked as I looked at her.

"Your ticket. You're coming on with me in thanks." She offered.

I eyed her for a second as if I was a deer in the headlights. "But, I'm just a passenger."

"You helped me twice. It's the least I can do." Kagome replied. I wasn't sure as to whether I should or not when the woman behind the counter nodded. "Well, I guess so."

When I found my ticket, measured my carry-on bag and I was then allowed onto the plane with the flight attendant. We walked down the tunnel quietly. I stared at the bun on the back of her head the whole time, wondering what was going on.

Once we arrived on the plane, she set her baggage into a locker off to the side and then showed me to my seat. "There you are. What would you like to drink?"

"Sake, please." She bowed a moment and as she was about to step away, I grabbed her wrist and held her back.

"What is it? Did you change your mind?"

"No. I just..." The cat caught my tongue just then.

"Yes?"

"Nothing. It's fine." I replied as I set my bag beneath the seat.

"Okay, I'll be right back with your sake." She said and then stepped down the aisle.

I sat down and got comfortable as I closed my eyes. What did that woman have in mind? All I did was allow her to eat at my table, hand her a dirty spoon and return the badge. She was acting as if I was her hero. Wonder if she had thought about me as I thought about her al this time. Sure, she was in fact very sweet and hospitable, when she wanted to be. But what was developing here? Are we forming some sort of relationship or something?

"Here you go." She said cheerfully enough, bringing me out of my thoughts as she pulled the table down from the seat in front of me and then set the tray on it. "If you need anything else, just holler." she said with a smile.

I winked as she bowed, then turned and stepped down the aisle. As I relaxed in my first class seat, I sipped my sake in silence. 'Least until the passengers started filing in an hour later. First class filled up rather quickly, and coach filled up by the time the plane took off.

As the plane took off, everyone was strapped in and facing forward. Once the plane leveled off, the belts were off, and I felt eyes on me. As I looked around, they all gave me questioning looks. Especially when Kagome came back to collect the tray with the empty flask and saucer from my table.

I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. I was getting more negative attention than I wanted and they were really glaring daggers at me. I then began to feel the sake kick in. I stood from my seat and walked through the curtain. I stopped in shock. Not only were the passengers in first class pissed at me, so were the ones in coach. I cleared my throat and walked on down the aisle towards the bathroom.

Once I shut the door to the bathroom, I relieved myself. Afterwards, I washed my hands as I eyed myself in the mirror. Well, nothing was outta place, and my ears were still invisible. Good. As I stepped out, I noticed something going on up ahead. Kagome was helping a passenger, or at least it seemed that way from afar. Once I got closer, I noticed her tense shoulders from behind. As I inched closer, a guy stood up before her and snaked his hand over her shoulder with a cocky look on his face.

I stopped, curious as to what I would walk into. She stepped back towards me and tried to get out of his grasp while holding a tray of drinks for first class. I watched intently as I kept a bit of distance between us.

"C'mon, I'm sure you and that guy had a good time in the bathroom earlier. Why not give me a go, baby?"

"Hey!" I shouted, getting his attention.

"You!" the guy pushed Kagome aside, stepped past her and got right up in my face.

"What?" I asked the guy and he glared as he growled, showing his teeth. "What's your problem?" I asked, sniffing and noticed he smelled rank.

"You claimed her, didn't you?" He snarled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I spat.

"Sure. You spent an hour in here all alone. Tell me you didn't try anything with 'my woman'."

Kagome stepped back, trying to keep her distance. I saw her. The look on her face was sheer fright. I looked back to the asshole that was bothering her earlier as I replied with, "Look. Nothing happened here. And from the look on her face, I'm sure she aint your woman. Now sit down, shut up, and let her do her job. If not, then I'm gonna have to become her bodyguard for the rest of the flight." I stated as the jerk spit in my face and then pointed his finger at me.

"You dog. Like I'd ever listen to you! What makes you think you can keep me from my woman?"

"She aint yours, asshole!" I shouted back at him, baring my fangs.

"Oh, so you do have fangs. They're nothing compared to mine, you insolent mutt!"

It was obvious the wolf demon had figured out I was half dog demon. I was just hoping it wouldn't go so far as two demons fighting in the plane while it was filled with passengers. I right away readied myself for a quick incapacitation attack. The wolf watched me closely.

As I started to growl and flexed my muscles, he clicked his tongue and turned his back as he said over his shoulder, "You're not worth revealing myself right now, but we will have it out at the airport in Tokyo, Mutt." He then sat down.

"Keh!" I spat as I strolled past him and put my arm around Kagome's shoulder, offering to accompany her through the curtain into first class.

Once the curtain closed, I gestured for her to deliver the drinks she was carrying. I watched her relax before the passengers as I took my seat. A couple moments later, she appeared beside me. I looked up to see her gesturing for me to follow her. I stood from my seat and followed her into the little hallway just behind the cockpit. She asked me to sit down in one of the two seats on the left side as she slid the sliding door shut and turned the light on.

"What is it?" I asked as she took her seat across from me.

She laid the empty tray on her lap as she made eye contact with me. "That man has tried to gain my affections for quite some time now. He comes to the U.S. to visit family every now and then. I try to refuse him, but won't take 'no' for an answer. I don't know what I can do to convince him to leave me alone."

I smirked and gave her a sideways look as I said, "So, he's the one you were referring to earlier. Ya know how simple it is to get him to stop?" She shook her head. "It's as simple as kneeing the bastard."

"No, it's not. It's against regulations to have physical confrontations with passengers." Kagome replied seriously, as she shook her head.

I chuckled as I replied with, "That's called 'self-defense', Kagome. He's not supposed to touch you in the way he just did, but he did. You're being passive to him. That will not help you."

"Will you help me?" She asked.

"Me? You don't want my help. I'll cause too much trouble trust me. You have to do this on your own, or it'll never work. If you can't stand the bastard, then do something about it." I replied.

"But, I'm afraid of what will happen to me if I do retaliate. If I have a strong man standing up for me, then..."

"But what if I'm not there? Then what? C'mon. Where's the woman that fought back when I was a total asshole?" I asked.

"I don't know." She said quietly.

I sighed, moved next to her and turned towards her as I replied with, "You were never afraid of me. And yet _he_ scares the shit out of you. This doesn't make sense."

"I know it doesn't. I've never been strong against men who are forceful like that. You, you're a different story. You try to push me away, not force yourself onto me." She had a point there.

I bowed my head at that response. And here, I thought I was being enough of an ass to keep her away. I had obviously intrigued her instead. "Kagome, you think you know me, but you don't, honestly. I'm not the man to protect you from scum every time. You don't know me like you think you do. What you've figured out isn't even the tip of the iceberg, so to speak."

"Then who are you?" I tensed at the inquiry. My eyes shot wide and I gained a strange look on my face, causing her to become even more curious. Dammit!

"I can't answer that." I replied.

"Not good enough. I keep running into you. There's obviously a reason for that." She replied.

"No. You don't want to know who I am, Kagome, trust me." She was beginning to make me nervous.

"Please?" Kagome asked.

"Sorry." I shook my head. She pouted, hoping I would relent. After a few moments, she gave up.

"I just don't get it. You live in Tokyo, obviously, and I've never seen you or heard of you. How is that possible? Why haven't I run into you on the streets?" Kagome asked.

"Because I don't get out much. That's all I'm going to say."

"But that's not true. You travel every month! How can you call that 'not getting out much'?" she replied as she mimicked my voice.

I chuckled at her impression, which wasn't half-bad. "Well, I don't get out much as far as walking the streets in Tokyo, if that's what ya mean."

"Oh. Why not?" She asked.

I shrugged, looking for an easy way to answer which she'd buy. "Don't have a reason, really."

"There's gotta be a reason. Are you like one of those people who has someone to take care of? Are you a workaholic? What do you do that takes up so much of your time?"

I tossed my hands in the air as I replied with, "I'm a glorified couch potato. I know, pathetic, aint it?"

"I don't buy that, with you being as physically fit as you are. Plus, you have to admit. Television isn't THAT interesting." Kagome pointed out.

I sighed in frustration as I ran my hand through my bangs. "You're not gonna give up, are ya?"

"Nope. I'm what you'd call frustratingly curious." She replied with a proud smile.

"Honestly, you have to stop asking. My life isn't for the faint at heart. Hence, why I have tried frustratingly hard to keep you and everyone away from me." I replied.

"Ooo…Now I'm even more curious." She replied with a smirk.

"Shit." I spat, as I looked the other way.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" Kagome asked.

I looked her way questioningly. She looked honest. I wondered if she'd get the gist of my life if I told her. I decided to try an off-centered approach. "Have you heard of the shrine just on the outskirts of Tokyo? Ya know the one with the well and the tree?"

"Yes, I know of that shrine. My mother used to take me there when I was a kid. 'Course, I heard the shrine is no longer being taken care of, so mom hasn't taken me there in years."

"So, I take it you heard the tales behind the shrine? What the tree represents?" I asked.

"Yes, I've heard the tales. About the half demon being pinned to the tree, and the miko who died protecting a jewel. That half demon spent fifty years pinned to a tree while she was dead. Tragic." Kagome replied as she hung her head.

"Yeah."

"So, what does the shrine have to do with your name?" Kagome asked. I suddenly couldn't answer in any other way but to smile. I was hoping she couldn't figure it out, but being the smart girl she is, she did. It was obvious since she gasped and her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. I bowed my head as the ears appeared atop my silver covered head.

'What's come over me? For some reason, I can't hide myself from her anymore. I just revealed myself to a woman. Why? '_Because you love her._ 'Shut up, heart.

As I was thinking about what I had just done, I suddenly felt myself compelled to purr. I closed my eyes and leaned my head forward. Instinctively I had turned to putty in her lap. Wait! I sat up, removing my ears from her reach. As I eye her, panting like a dog, she eyed me in question. "I'm sorry, that was instinct."

"No, it's okay. So…You're Inuyasha." My eyes flicked suddenly. She was the first person who had said my name in centuries. It made my heart jump in my chest. "Or did I say it wrong?"

"No. You said it right. It's just been centuries since my name's been spoken by anyone. It sounded nice." I replied as my eyes gained a shy look.

She giggled at my response. "I see, Inuyasha. Well, it's an honor to meet you, even though I feel like I've known you for months now." She replied sweetly.

"Well, ya practically are the only person who's gotten close to me in centuries. So, yeah. You're lucky." I replied sarcastically. "Just don't think your life will be the same after this though. I know this is far from over now."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously.

"Now you're gonna want to know more, and then, before you know it, you'll hate me." I said in a serious tone.

"Hate you? Why?" Kagome asked.

"Exactly." I spat. "Listen, have you mentioned this stuff happening to anyone?" I asked, getting back on the subject of her 'man' troubles.

"No. I'm too embarrassed." Kagome replied as she bowed her head.

"Kagome, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This kind of thing happens all the time. I mean, geeze, it's nothing new, believe me." I replied with a sarcastic chuckle.

"What do you mean? Nothing new…" Kagome replied.

"I mean, this kind of shit happened back in the middle ages. Men feeling they have the power to force themselves on women. It's wrong. I've seen it happen too many times." I said in a sympathetic tone.

"Wow. I didn't know that. So, you're not new to this sort of thing?"

"Nope. I used to protect women like you. Of course, some would slip through my fingers, and before I knew it, they'd end up raped, maimed, and or killed. I learned long ago that I'm not someone to depend on as far as protection is concerned." I replied as I focused my eyes on my clasped hands in my lap.

"What happened?" she asked.

I looked to her in question. "What happened? I ended up pinned to that tree! That's what happened!"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I won't ask about it again. It must hurt to think about it." She replied in a sympathetic tone.

"I overreacted. I'm sorry. I do get defensive about it."

"Is there a scar?"

"Huh?"

"Where the arrow pierced your chest. Is there a scar there?" She asked innocently. I kept eye contact with her as I undid the first few buttons of my shirt to show her a perfectly clean chest. She gasped as she touched where legend stated the arrow passed right through my body. No scar. No proof. Save for the look in my eyes. "Wow. It healed completely."

"Yes. Only my soul carries the scar now. That scar can't be seen, but it's there and will remain for eternity." I replied solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. At least you're here. At least you're no longer sealed." She replied.

"Yeah, well you will never outlive those younger than you. You'll never outlive those you hold dear. Those you love more than yourself. Honestly, I would have rather followed the miko who did that to me."

"What was her name? I heard it once, but it slipped my mind."

"Kikyo."

"Oh. I did hear of what happened. She betrayed you, didn't she?"

"No. She was mislead, as was I. That's what makes the story so confusing. A bandit she was taking care of while she and I courted wanted her for himself, even though he couldn't court her by any means. So, he gave himself to dark spirits and gained powers to perform many evils against us. He used our forms to pit us against each other. Our love was so great that the betrayal easily destroyed us."

"So, that's why you chose to keep me at a distance." She figured it out.

"Well, part of it. The last time I fell in love, I was betrayed. I even ended up committing crimes because of it. So, I think it's best not to pursue me, Kagome. It's best to forget that I've gained your interest. You'll just end up hurt, like you almost did today."

"That happened even before I met you, Inuyasha. Kouga won't relent. And that had nothing to do with you until today. Don't worry about adding that to your journal of bad karma." Kagome assured, but I knew better. She could try as much as she wanted, but she wasn't going to convince me to allow the relationship to continue. _That's what you think_. Didn't I tell you to shut up?

"Yeah, well. Like I said before, don't get your hopes up. I'm not looking to attach myself to anyone. I do have some advice for you though. I suggest you talk to your supervisor, pilot, anyone about Kouga. I bet they'll protect you the correct way. Me, I'll only get you in trouble at this point."

"Okay." She replied as she stepped past me into the cockpit and closed the door behind her. I leaned back and closed my eyes as I listened to the faint conversation behind the door. Once she had told the pilot about the incident, he made the decision to turn around and drop the asshole off where he belonged. Back in California.

As she returned from the cockpit, she sat beside me. I then looked her in the eye as she leaned into me and I put my arm around her as the pilot gave the announcement that they were to head back for emergency purposes. Kagome stayed by my side the rest of the way back to California. We remained in that little hallway until the unscheduled landing. Once the jack-ass was forced from the plane, I was then seated back where I belonged as she took care of the passengers once again with relief written all over her face.

Now, at this point, we had lost hours in the flight plan. At that point, I didn't care. I decided to sacrifice my transformation for Kagome's safety and self-assurance. She finally learned she didn't have to take shit from no man and that no one on that plane was gonna allow it to happen. Once I saw the sun setting over the watery horizon hours later, I asked her to follow me into that hallway once again. She asked me why, but I only shushed her and closed the door.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" She asked as I sat across from her.

"You know about my past history, but there's something else you need to know. Now, you have to promise me you'll never tell a living soul about this, you hear me?" I asked her with a serious look in my eyes.

"I promise." She nodded innocently.

I nodded nervously as my breath hitched in my throat. I closed my eyes as the sun went down. Since there were no windows in that little hallway, she had no clue as to what was about to happen or why. Suddenly, my heart thumped loudly as my hair began to slip from silver to black and my ears slowly transformed. She gasped as I changed, pain etched on my face the whole time. In a matter of minutes, I became another person completely right before her very eyes.

Once the transformation ended, I opened my eyes to reveal dark brown instead of gold. She was frozen in a shocked expression. I sighed as I reached over and removed her hand from her mouth. "Kagome, you can breathe now."

She panted in shock a few times before gaining the words to respond. "What just happened to you?"

"Well, I am half demon, right?" She nodded in response. "Well, I am now human."

"You're…human? How is that possible?'

"The new moon. This is what I avoid every month. This night in particular. At least I try to. I sometimes fail."

"Why would you try to avoid this?"

"I don't feel comfortable this way. I feel deaf, blind, vulnerable, and my emotions run rampant in this form. I lose control over everything about my body. I don't like being this way, even if it is for only one night." I explained as I withdrew my hand from hers to wrap my arms around my stomach in discomfort.

"Inuyasha…I would have never guessed you would ever go through such an experience. Even in the stories, this wasn't mentioned. Why?"

"Why? Because no one knew. I hid during this time of the month. No one ever saw me, plain and simple. I know how to disappear when I become human. If I hadn't, I would have died long ago."

"Why? Why would you have died?"

"I had many enemies back then. I don't now, but I did. Believe me; you don't know much about the history of Japan. I know more than anyone alive. I've lived since the middle ages, and I've seen more than any mortal would ever have passed on. Japan's history is riddled with misconceptions in regards to spiritual beings. And as you can tell, they do truly exist." She gaped at me, surprised of the news. "Yes, now you know what I meant by not turning back after knowing me."

She didn't say a word, but took the seat beside me and pulled my head into her arms as she comforted my shuddering form. I stilled as she ran her fingers through my hair to comfort me. Just as my mother did during these nights of fear. I closed my eyes as a single tears fell down my left cheek.

It turned out Kagome had noticed I had fallen asleep under her care, which is a first for me. I have never slept on a moonless night in my life. She told me later that she had snuck out after I passed out and took care of the passengers through the rest of the flight. I woke up later, laying across the seats. I sat up, wiped my eyes and realized I heard clearly. I felt that my ears had returned, and that the transformation had taken place as I slept. I chuckled at the thought that no one knows what happened to me that night. So, I slid the door open and made my way to my seat. People gave me funny looks, but then went back to their breakfasts when I took my seat and reached for my bag underneath my seat.

Since things had gone back to normal, they ignored me the rest of the flight. Once we had landed in Tokyo, I left the plane and went right to the ticket counter to book my next excursion. As I waited for the rep to type up a ticket for me, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Kagome there, bright as ever and smiling happily.

"Hey."

"Hi. You okay?" I asked as I stretched a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I need to talk to you when you're done." She said as she looked over my shoulder at the ticket rep.

"Okay." I replied as I shrugged.

"Okay, here's your itinerary, and your ticket, sir. Enjoy your month here in Tokyo." The woman said pleasantly.

"Thank you." I replied as I grabbed my bag and stepped away from the counter with Kagome. She and I continued walking until we reached a spot near the phones. "What's up?' I asked.

"Since I'm basically gonna be in Tokyo longer than usual this time around, and I got to know you a little bit, would you like to meet sometime?"

I scrunched up my face a bit, as I thought about getting out with her in public. "I don't know…"

"Oh, c'mon. I'm sure we'll get along fine. I'd like to get to know you more. Seriously, Inuyasha."

"Kagome, look. This is as far as it goes between us. The flights. That's all I can allow. Please, you've heard enough about me this time. Let's leave it at that." I stated, trying to gain that stand-off-ish attitude towards her, but failing miserably.

"I can't believe you are that scared of me."

"I'm not scared of you, I'm…"

"What? Scared of yourself? Scared of the unknown? Inuyasha, the last time you fell in love or had any kind of relationship, it failed because of the times. There aren't any demons after you or me. Why not give it a try?" Kagome asked.

I couldn't respond in any other way aside from giving her a frustrated glare. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" she asked, my expression not changing. "Why won't you give me a chance?"

"Why? You wanna know why? C'mon! It would never work! It didn't work the first time, and it aint gonna work now!" I replied as I started to walk away.

"You are so full of it! Let it go, Inuyasha! Let your past go!" She shouted as I then turned and gave her the meanest glare in my arsenal.

"You know nothing of my past. I only told you a small piece of it. You don't want to know, trust me on that one. My life has been nothing but pain. I don't want you to suffer that!" I spat as I then continued at a brisk pace.

"Pain? What pain? Tell me!" I turned and grabbed her by the neck, catching her off guard. I growled softly enough for only her to hear. I flashed my fangs and sneered at her.

"You satisfied?" I ground out as I released her slim and soft neck from my grip. She stood before me, helpless as a doe, panting in fear. "Don't think I wouldn't try it if you press me enough. Now go home, woman. Before you get on my bad side." I then turned around and started walking away from her. The one who was the most moved and the most scared by me at the same time.

On the way home, I thought about what she had said. Yes, my life was sick and sad in the past, but my life is bearable now since I have no one to worry about. No one too close to worry for me. True, she has brought about a few firsts for me, but hey. That wasn't what I expected to happen. Whatever I can control, I will. I refuse to let her get too close. Sure, she knows my story now, but she's not the kind of woman to tell anyone. However, for her to fall for me rather than run screaming was a shocker. She began to look upon me in a familiar way.

No, I refuse to think about that now. That look scares me more than the butterflies. What is it about her that's keeping even me intrigued by all that's happened? Who is this girl? Why is it that I seem so comfortable around her to the point where I almost have to make myself angry for no apparent reason to fight her off? What the hell is happening to me? Damn, this is so fucked up. I think I need therapy now _shakes head._

* * *

Wow, I told you this chapter had more in it. And are you seeing a bit of plot development? I know I am. This fic is interesting in the fact that even Inuyasha has me guessing now. I honestly don't know where this fic is headed. I'm just sitting back and typing what these crazy characters are doing in my head. I swear, it's like watching television, only I can't readily change the channel. Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed this chapter, at least as much as the other two. Oh, and beware of anyone lending you a 'supposedly' clean spoon to eat your soup with. 'Til next time, ja ne! 


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Oi, minna! Well, I have been inspired to write the next chapter. Now keep in mind, the first three were in Inuyasha's perspective. This chapter, however, may jump around, but it will start in Kagome's perspective. Least, that's what I know at this point...So, I certainly hope you enjoy what's in store. (Clears throat) Now, on with the story.

**Chapter 4**

_Kagome_

'Wow...Was I just dreaming? No, I couldn't have been.' I thought to myself as I felt my neck. The hold he had on me was fearless. There were no second thoughts going through his mind as he held my life in his hand. As I watched him walk away, I remained in that spot for another two minutes. Just the fact that he let go caused me to cry inwardly. The touch of his hand. Such an aura. Not that I generally pay attention to auras, but his was definitely flaring at that moment.

Sure, I admit that I have been going pretty far into possibilities, and yes, he's grown on me, but for him to feel threatened by me. I guess I haven't really been giving him the privacy he needs, but it's not as if I planned to end up meeting him, or learning about him, but this has just been too weird and fishy to ignore. I mean to find out from him who he is and not searching on the internet or anything wasn't something I expected. He claims he doesn't trust me, or want me to know him, but I have a feeling he's fighting himself.

As my feet finally remembered how to move my body, I continued those thoughts as I left the airport. The first thing I thought to do as I stepped outside was to look in all directions. Looking for that one hat, he always wears. Funny enough, it seemed every five guys I eyed had on the same hat. _Sigh_ I guess he does seem to disappear easily. In America, he'd stand out like a black chicken. In Japan, that's not the case.

As I climbed on the bus, he continued to cloud my mind. That night was amazing. Seeing him transform was the most magical thing I've ever see happen. Nothing short of a miracle in my opinion. To think, transformations that drastic could happen. The transformation destroys science as far as evolution and possibilities of transformation. Sure, we all know certain species of reptiles and insects can change their colors to disappear and be hidden for protection purposes, but his being one of hindrance? As I played over the transformation in my mind, I grabbed a seat in the back of the bus and put my hand over my eyes in concentration.

What I saw was something I didn't pay attention to. The look on his face. His eyebrows were scrunched together as if he was in pain. I didn't hear any sounds save for his beating heart, and his deep breathes as he put up with the pain. I felt bad for him. Seeing him go through all that, I would never wish a curse such as his on anyone. All I could think about after that was, 'I wish there was something I could do for him.' Knowing that he would never let me close enough, I know that wish could never come true.

He continued to remain in my heart and on my mind throughout the whole month. I did a little bit of research in regards to his story, and I came up with only folk lore-ish accounts. The ancestral families involved only told as much as Inuyasha himself divulged, and nothing more. Nothing concrete. I found myself slaving over it quite a bit, spending hours and hours at the library and online. Nothing helped. I then planned to make a trip to that shrine. If anything, that would be the place where I could receive the most information.

A couple days later, I set out to visit the shrine. I thought about all the things I remembered seeing when I visited those few times as a kid. I do remember the tree, the well house, and the shrine house where we made the wishes. The caretaker's house also looked liked it housed a nice family, but I had only seen one shrine priest all those times I visited. Next to the well house, the caretaker's house was a very modern two story. Aside from the site arrangements, the house seemed not to belong.

As I climbed out of the bus, I walked down the sidewalk towards the shrine grounds. As I passed the last couple shops, and came into the more deserted end of the sidewalk, I looked at the trees lining the sidewalk I remembered passing as a kid. This part of Tokyo always seemed very serene and quiet. Once the bamboo tree line ended, I saw the tall set of steps leading up to the shrine grounds. I took a deep breath, and ascended the steps.

Once I reached the top step, I stepped past the sacred archway leading into the shrine grounds. I looked around and saw the grounds have not been kept up for a long time, and that the caretaker's house had gone into disrepair. The only part of the grounds that remained ageless was the Goshinboku. The ribbons had fallen to the ground long ago, but the tree withstood. I stepped up to look upon the tree. I then eyed the bald spot in the bark, where Inuyasha himself has pinned for 50 years. After a few moments, my gaze then turned further upwards, and I heard a slight rustle in the branches. I then searched the branches, looking for the source of the sound.

Once I had looked enough, seeing nothing, I shrugged and stepped away from the tree and headed towards the tiny well house. The wood had rotted slightly, and the wear on the wooden sliding doors leading into the well house hung loosely. I scaled the few steps and slid the rickety doors aside. All I saw was a small deck surrounding the well, which remained in the center encased in dirt. It was silent inside. The corners covered in spider webs, showing no one had dusted in there for a long time.

I suddenly got curious and decided to step in, descend the steps and leaned over the lip of the well. In the darkness, I wasn't able to see much, save for the silhouettes of bones at the very bottom. Suddenly, I felt something familiar. I closed my eyes as I stood tall and tried to see if I could pick up where it was coming from. As I stepped away from the well, the feeling lessened, indicating the feeling was coming from the well itself. There was magic there. An unknown kind of feeling to me, which made me nervous.

* * *

_Inuyasha_

"What? She came here? What's she doing here? She's that curious about knowing me that she'd go this far?" I whispered to myself as I hid in the nearest tree beside the well house. I couldn't get over her tenacity. I guess I couldn't have gotten rid of her for long. She did say she would be here longer than usual. Of course, my flight would leave tomorrow, and she'd be here when I returned. This next flight will be interesting without her there. Not that I really would miss her, or anything.

I watched silently as she walked up the steps and into the well house. That was when I felt it. I hadn't felt that feeling in years. That old magic. The well was still alive apparently. No doubt, if Kagome had the ability, she was sensing it as well. I listened silently as she spoke quietly to herself. I decided to observe her a bit closer. I leapt out of the tree and fell to the ground quietly beside the well house. I held my breathe as I snuck up to the little hole in the wood in the side to eye her. As soon as my sight caught her form, she gasped and looked right towards me. I flinched away at that instant. I heard a few steps come closer. I shifted just enough to where she couldn't see me.

As I ducked around the corner, I heard her breathing as she looked through the hole I had just left. When she stepped away, I heard her footsteps head more towards the front of the well house. When she ascended the steps inside, I leapt into the tree behind the well house and watched her silently. She came around the side and eyed the dirt to see my footprints. She then ran beneath me and saw the footprints end right beneath me.

"Shit," I thought to myself and then she looked up as she gasped. I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Inuyasha?" She asked upwards at me. I opened my eyes and responded with, "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" she asked. I leapt down and landed before her effortlessly. She backed away nervously.

"What are _you _doing here?" I asked as I scrutinized her with a glare. Her eyes shifted downward as she fidgeted a little. "Well?" I asked in a gruff tone. Her eyes shot back to mine.

"I was curious about what I could learn here. After what you told me on the plane, I couldn't get the story out of my head. I admit, I may be prying, but I can't help but feel that there's a reason why we keep finding and meeting each other. I want to get to know you, Inuyasha." Kagome replied very innocently. She did seem as if she had lost a lot of sleep. She looked like she was slightly ill.

I eyed her through her little explanation with a '_Yeah, right'_ look on my face. "Kagome, I told you. I refuse to tell you more than you already know. So, please, turn around and walk back home."

"No." Kagome spat back at me, shocking the hell out of me. She shifted her stance into a more comfortable position.

I sighed in frustration as I myself shifted into a more stand off-ish stance as I asked, "What did you just say?"

"You heard me. I want to get to know you. Why is that so wrong?" she asked as she scrutinized me, hoping to read what I'm hiding in my eyes.

"Because I asked you to leave, that's why. Why can't I say no to you? Why is my life soo freaking important to you anyways?" I asked in annoyance.

"I don't know. My heart won't let you go. My soul wonders about you. I feel this need to know you. Is that wrong?" Kagome explained.

"Yes!" I exclaimed sarcastically.

"Why!" She asked.

"Because you're innocent, that's why! Why would you want to look upon me in pain? Huh? 'Cuz I guarantee, that's how you'll see me from that point on. You won't like me, you'll pity me. I don't want that." I replied sternly as I turned my back and began to walk away.

"Why would you ever think I would pity you because of your past?" Kagome shouted her question as she followed me.

I turned and glared at her as I replied with, "Because my past will more than likely give you nightmares. That's why!"

She stopped and eyed me angrily as she answered that with, "I'm not a child, if that's what you think I am."

"Tsch, that has nothing to do with it. You are kind, naive, and sweet. Everything you should be. If I expose you to the truth of my past, you will lose that innocence." I eyed her as I deflated while continuing with, "I don't want to be responsible for that."

She eyed me in shock for a moment and then replied with, "Is that all that's keeping you from dealing with your past the right way? By sharing it with someone you can definitely trust?" I swallowed hard after that reply. I didn't know what to say for a few moments.

"Trust you? With the harsh reality of what's really out there? Of who I am, and why I am the way I am today? If you want me to trust you, you have to trust me in saying my life was no picnic, and it's not for everyone to know. Definitely not for the weak hearted. You will cry for me, you will pity me, and you will hate me in the end. Why? Because I changed your heart with my harsh tale." I eyed her intensely for a few seconds and then continued with, "Take my word for it, and go home, sweetheart. Live your life while it's still golden and pure. Let me live my fucked-up life in silence and alone, as I should." I then turned around, jumped up into the tree adjacent from her and continued to leap from branch to branch out of sight.

* * *

_Kagome_

I stood there, thinking about what he had just said to me before he jumped out of sight and disappeared into the trees. I just couldn't get through to him. My heart hurt from his pain already, and he hadn't even divulged anything yet. I began to shake as my eyes went teary and my breath caught in my throat.

If there was one thing he had done, it was to cause me to fear his story even more than I thought I would. I thought I could be strong for him and convince him. I was wrong. He's stubborn to the core, and tries so hard to make his story the horror story to end all stories. I didn't know whether I should take his word for it and trust him, or if I should continue to pry. I wasn't lying when I told him he needed to deal with this the right way, but after what he had just said, I actually gained goose bumps.

The look in his eyes as he said those words scared me. His eyes were so intense; I didn't know what to think. Those eyes could cause a dinosaur to hide in fear. How he could turn those eyes on me in such a way is beyond me. He refuses to allow me entry. He refuses comfort, help and love, all because his life took a turn for the worst in his opinion.

As I looked to the trees leading to his path, a breeze guided me to eye towards a peak that appeared between the swaying branches. I squinted my eyes to focus better. What I saw under that peak, was a window. I began to wonder where that had come from. I decided to follow the unseen path of the wind through the forest beyond the shrine.

Once I had gotten down the steps leading from the higher shrine grounds, I saw the forest was denser that when I was a little higher up, but I didn't let that stop me. The forest was lush and full as the trees creaked and swayed in the breeze. I continued to look upwards ahead, hoping to see him. Before I knew it, I was standing before a secluded mansion. It was expansive, and covered over the general amount of land the usual Tokyo homes would cover. The peak I had seemed to see through the trees was the crow's nest peak, ranging high up three stories.

The grounds were kept up, and the mansion was in beautiful condition. I was in awe of the beautiful land and how nothing could be heard from the city. It seemed as if I had gone back in time as I stepped further from the forest clearing. The bonsai trees sculpted nicely, the sakura tree adjacent to the house was in full bloom, and the grounds were completely peaceful.

* * *

_Inuyasha_

I sat and watched as she came out from the woods high up in he bird's nest tower. Since I had, the windows replaced when the technology came along, I can see her, but she can't see me. I thought about what she had said. To deal with my past the 'right' way. Tsch. Is there really a right way to deal with such pain? With such terror from my past? I mean, I could see telling my stories to another man, but to a sweet and innocent woman? How would I say it all to her?

To be honest, my heart has noticed a slight connection to her comfort wise, but I still feel the need to keep her at a distance. Am I just fighting myself? _Sigh_ What have I gotten myself into? All that time, I had fixed my eyes on the spot where...Wait...Where did she go? I looked everywhere, stood up and eyed all around wherever I could see. No Kagome. "Shit!" I spat as I ran from the bird's nest and climbed down the stairwell.

I was just descending around the corner when my chin hit something hard, and I was thrown backwards onto my ass. I rubbed my chin and jaw as my eyes connected with her. I held my breath as she eyed me with curiosity etched in her eyes. I couldn't think of anything to say. We were both caught by each other. She by me, and I by her. I didn't know what to say and obviously, neither did she.

A moment later, her mouth moved slightly. I sighed loudly and got up to my feet to tower over her. Her eyes followed mine as I stood a step above her, towering over her in high and position. She gulped loudly as her eyes averted to the wall beside her. "I'm sorry I intruded." She said, extinguishing the silence with her sweet and innocent voice.

I stepped towards her and held her chin to raise her eyes to mine. "Well, I have nothing to hide from you now, do I?" She swallowed again as I held her soft and small chin. Her eyes searched mine as my thumb caressed her bottom lip. Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes shifted to my lips and then back to my eyes. My breathing became a bit rushed as my eyes searched hers for a moment, and my hand dropped as I stepped past her, my shoulder lightly brushing hers.

'I was about to kiss her...Why? I was inches away! I _am_ fighting myself...' I thought as I left the stairwell and waited for her to follow. I stood, back to the last step, waiting for her to descend. All I could hear was her nervous breathing. I gathered that I must have caught her off-guard. My eyes closed as I listened to her breathing. Just that sound alone warmed me to the core. Something definitely was different about this situation. Different, but yet familiar. I recognize these feelings, but dread them. The last time I felt these feelings, I lost everything.

* * *

_Kagome_

That was scary. I thought for a moment there that he was going to kiss me. Thankfully he didn't. I don't think I'm ready for _that_ just yet. But, what he said..._"Well, I have nothing to hide from you now, do I?" _What did he mean by that? Was this mansion what he was hiding? Couldn't be. Now I'm confused. First, he threatens me, then he's kind to me, then he's curious, and then he wants to kiss me? Where is this going? I wonder. It seems he's just as confused about this as I am.

Sure, I did intrude on someone's property, but to find him in the house I found? I honestly didn't mean to upset him. I turned on the step and looked around the corner. He was standing there; his ears were angled slightly behind him. Obviously listening for something. I watched him for a moment. His countenance, the way his shoulders sat proudly, his back tall as his silver hair hung loosely down his back to end just over his rump. His hands were relaxed, showing his long fingers and wide palms. At the tips of his fingers, I saw not nails, but bone colored claws, undoubtedly sharp and thick.

His ears continued to flick as my left foot stepped down. "You need help or something?" He said aloud, his arms crossing over his chest in annoyance.

"No, I'm fine." I replied as I descended the rest of the way and stepped up behind him. "Inuyasha, I didn't know this was your home. Please forgive me. I will leave if you're upset about me..."

"No. It's okay." He interrupted me as he turned to face me, his arms still crossed and annoyance etched on his face.

"Is it? It seems like you're upset at me. You have a right to be." I replied as I hung my head a little, averting my eyes.

"Yes, I am, but I'm going to attack you or anything." He replied, his eyes turning down to his feet as he began to step the other direction in a bored manner.

I watched him as he walked off down the hall to the left, leading in the direction I had just come from. He hadn't said a word for thirty seconds as I followed him. Then, a few moments later, he stopped and slid open a shoji door. When he stepped into the room ahead, I wondered what he was planning to do. It seemed obvious something had given in as far as his resolve.

I continued walking forward and then stopped before the room he had entered. It turned out to be a Dojo. Not having any idea the immense mansion contained a Dojo caused me surprise. I stepped in and looked around. With a glance to my right, I saw him, standing before a rack of swords on the wall. There were three swords in all. Two katanas, and one, which didn't look Japanese to say the least.

"My father, a great Taiyoukai, carried all three of these swords. Out of all three of them, only one was entrusted to me, one entrusted to my half brother, and the other to no one." I watched in silence as he turned and looked upon me with a different look in his eyes. "You might as well have a seat, for this will be long and I'm sure your feet will give out before your haunches will."

I couldn't take my eyes from his gaze as I walked to the matt placed on the floor a few feet behind him. He then turned back to the swords, removed the lowest one and then turned towards me. His eyes remained on the sword in his hands as he took a seat a couple feet away from me.

"This sword is where it all starts for me. You do know that I am a half demon. And now you know my father was a great dog demon. That leaves the human to be my mother. The face you saw that night a month ago came from her. The night of my birth, there was a fight for my mother's hand. A rival in love approached the mansion to stop my birth. My father chose to protect my mother and me. They both died in a fire that took place at this very house. You see, my mother's servants had this house rebuilt. I myself added the dojo."

I formed an 'Oh' expression as my eyes wandered the dojo and his craftsmanship as he continued. "After my father died, my brother left us. I have seen him periodically. However, he disappeared after everything was finished."

"After what was finished?" I asked curiously.

"My story." He stated simply.

"Um...I don't think your story ends. You're still alive, and you obviously have things you must live through. But the chapter you speak of in your life, that's what you're focusing on." I pointed out.

"Whatever. Anyways, how this all started was I fell in love, first and foremost..."

"Explains why you're keeping me at a distance..." I mentioned, interrupting him.

"Are you going to keep interrupting me?" He asked clearly irritated at me.

"No." I replied.

"Good. Well, the woman I fell for was a miko of great importance. She held in her care a jewel, a very precious jewel. This jewel, I'm sure you've heard of. It's called the Shikon Jewel."

"I heard of this story. It's a jewel which contained the soul of a miko from centuries ago which fought a hoard of demons all on her own, and in the process, almost became one with them. However, before that became possible, she forced out her soul. Then her soul and all of the demon's souls melded in a crystallized form. Fighting for all eternity."

Inuyasha sat before me with a wide-eyed expression as I told the story of the jewel he was mentioning. "You knew that story all along?"

"Yes. My family history contains a miko. Not the highest of mikos to live, but one who knew the tales in regards to the jewel." I explained as my eyes shifted from his eyes to the sword between us. "Tell me about this sword. It holds a strange power, I can sense it."

"You can sense its power?" He asked curiously.

"Yes. It's not evil, but it's powerful. It is full of an air of protection." I explained as my hand reached out and the fingers felt the hum of the sword's demonic aura.

"The sword's name is Tetsussaiga. Bore from my father's fang. This is indeed a sword of protection and great power. He had the sword created from his own fang to be used as protection for his wife and his family. This sword, when fully transformed, can kill a hundred enemies in one swing."

"Wow..." I whispered as he grabbed hold of the sheath and the hilt, drawing the blade from the sheath. As the dull blade escaped the metal sheath, I could feel the aura increase as the blade appeared inch by inch. Nicked and overused, the blade also had a fierce glow. No matter what condition the blade appeared to be in, it still was the most beautiful blade she had ever seen, strangely.

Once the blade was fully drawn, he stood before me and the sword transformed into a massive sharp blade. The tsuba became a tuft of white fur and the blade shined like new. The aura was apparent even more, and he held it before me, proudly. I have to say, when he stood before me, the massive blade resting on his shoulder, he became the most gorgeous vision I had ever laid eyes on.

His proud demeanor while holding that sword melted my heart and I was in awe of that vision of the past he was presenting to me. "Tell me something..." He cocked his head to the side slightly as I tried to figure out how to word it. "All that time, you only had one relationship, with one woman?"

Strangely, his cocky grin turned solemn. "Yes. Kikyo. She was the only miko alive strong enough to purify the jewel and to protect it from demons."

"How did you meet her?" I asked innocently.

"I heard tale of the jewel from a centipede demon on a night of the new moon. I then saw that same miko when she sensed my presence in a tree nearby. She was surprised to see I was human, but told me to avoid her and not to hunt the jewel. Well, obviously I didn't listen to her. I was too curious." He replied as he slipped the blade back into the sheath.

"Then what happened?" I inquired.

"Well, I challenged her for it. She beat me, in a rather embarrassing way, and I failed every time I challenged her. What struck me as odd was she never killed me, maimed me, or threatened me as she did the other demons that pursued the jewel's power." His eyes turned from mine to his lap as he continued. "She asked me why I pursued the jewel's power."

"And why did you?"

"To become something I'm not." He replied simply as his eyes averted back to my gaze. I saw disappointment in his eyes at that moment. "I wanted to become fully demon like my brother."

"And why would you want to become like your brother?" I asked.

"To avoid the transformations of course." He replied as he set the sword in his lap.

"So, that's all that drove you to want to ruin yourself?" I asked, rather hastily due to my emotions of seeing him as someone else.

"Well, at the time I didn't think that would be the case. I thought, with using the jewel to grant a single innocent wish, it could transform me into any form I had hoped for. But, I was wrong. I did try to use the jewel once. I failed. I realized my wish was unobtainable."

"What happened?" I asked as I noticed his hands begin to fidget as a child would if he did something bad. Clearly showing nervousness.

"Well, I ended up in a sticky situation where I had no choice but to use the shards I had of the jewel in order to save us all. I turned fully demon. But not the way I had hoped. I became a monster."

"A monster?"

"Yes. At one point, a demon broke the Tetsussaiga, causing an unseen link between me and Tetsussaiga to break. You see, the reason the sword was handed down to me was for it to protect me from my demon side. After that, if I felt the situation was too much for me to handle as I am now, I would be taken over by my animal side. I would destroy, kill, maim, and perform horrors only a child could imagine in their worst nightmares." He explained all that with such reverence and shame. I had no idea that, just as I look upon him now, he could ever harm an innocent thing alive.

"Wow...Was this what you meant to keep from me? About whom you truly are?" I asked in concern.

"Part of it." He replied as his gaze shifted to the side in thought.

"Inuyasha, I'm glad you're talking to me. I can see how all this information has hurt you. Please, don't hold back." His gaze shifted to mine in question at those words.

"I have been, and I will only release what needs to be told." He spat.

"How long has it been since you've really talked to another person?" I asked.

He sat up straight and his eyebrows scrunched together as he thought about it for a few moments. "Longer than you've been alive, at least."

My eyes opened up wide as plates at that comment. "Why so long?" I asked.

"To keep to myself. So no one ended up mixed up with me. I've seen so many suffer because they know me and I feel I need to spare everyone from that." Inuyasha replied.

"You know, if that was as long ago as I think it was, I'm sure the things that happened back in your time won't happen today. These times are peaceful times, aren't they?" I mentioned.

Inuyasha shook his head as he responded with, "That Kouga, ya know the guy from the plane?" I nodded as he continued with, "He's a full wolf demon. He went after you because you smell good to him, and because he can sense your powers. Demons are still very real, even today. Even in these times of 'peace' as you like to call them, the shit can hit the fan rather nicely. I wouldn't doubt it if he came back to Japan, sought you out and went after you."

I gasped in fear at that information. "How many have you seen? What's out there?" I asked in curiosity.

He looked up to the ceiling as he counted out and named off every type of demon he had come across as of recent years. Even dragons were one of the listed types of magical beings. I sat there and took it all in as my eyes widened. Within the past hundred years or so, believing in these being's existences became taboo. They virtually disappeared. Strangely enough only to humans who don't possess the sight or the means to sense them nearby.

"Judging on the fact that you can feel the aura of my sword, you knew something was off every now and then, didn't you?" Inuyasha asked me as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, but I had no idea what it was I was sensing. You see, my family has contained monks and priestesses throughout time, but since we were not the most powerful in the trade, we could only do minor exorcisms. We could pray for others, things of that sort. My family knows I have the abilities, but they never taught me how to use them or what I was sensing. Therefore, I was able to live a semi-normal life." I explained.

"Yeah, 'til now." My eyes shot to his to see the '_Told ya so_' look in his eyes. I shot him a questioning look. "Me. 'Til you bumped into me, your life was 'semi-normal'. Before me, you didn't even know demons still walked the earth, did you?"

"No, I didn't. You're right, but I don't see you as someone I should stay away from."

"You don't? Even after I told you, I could turn into a killer? See these claws?" He asked as he held his hand up, fingers jutting up. "These can slash you to mince meat in a second. You wouldn't even feel them slashing you."

"And that scares me...How?" I asked.

He shot me a funny look and jumped to his feet as he turned to me and said, "Are you for real? Are you really that naive?"

"I am not naive! I don't see you as a hostile person!" I spat as I stood before him.

"Well, I can be! You should be afraid of my abilities!"

"Why? Are you planning to give me a reason to be afraid?" He stepped back slightly. "Yep, you're all talk and no bite. It takes a lot more than just minor threats to get me afraid of you!"

"Oh, really...I know what would really get you upset..." He spat as he began to stalk me. His eyes bore through me as he seemed hungry for something. I gasped as he began to growl low in his chest. He smirked mischievously, showing a fang through his lips.

Once my back hit the wall behind me, he raised an arm above me and his other arm snaked around my waist, holding me in place against him. I tried to remain calm, but my breathing wouldn't listen. His face inched close to mine. In my nervousness, I couldn't move for fear of what he'd do. As the tip of his nose touched mine, he stopped and his eyes scrutinized mine as he whispered, "I can sense your fear. Don't lie to me. You're afraid of what I'm going to do to you, aren't you?" I swallowed. He eyed me for a moment when he closed his eyes and his tongue flicked out and licked my upper lip. I gasped as he then turned away from me. I wiped my upper lip and eyed him questioningly as I tried to calm my heart of the fear he had me facing just a moment ago, and all for just a simple lick.

* * *

_Inuyasha_

Ha, I had her. Just stalking her with the hungry look in my eyes got her to fear me. Yes, I proved her wrong. Although, there's something disturbing. I really wanted to kiss her back there. It would have been perfect. The taste of her was enticing. The look on her face was priceless. She was very unsure of what I was gonna do.

Sure, call me an ass if ya want. I live for this kind of thing. Proving people wrong. Kagome now is the only one I have any contact with, so yeah. She can lie all she wants, but her scent be-lies everything. At that moment, as I closed my eyes, she braced herself. I bet she thought I was gonna kiss her. Well, I was until she braced herself.

_Sigh_ she caught me right there, so I spared her. I mean, damn...If she's that afraid of me, why doesn't she tell me? Talk about sending me mixed messages. I stood facing away from her as I tried to calm myself down enough to speak correctly. Man, she's such a tease. But, I bet I've been giving her mixed signals as well. This really sucks.

I looked over my shoulder and saw her head was bowed slightly, her arms were wrapped around her middle, and her breathing hadn't calmed completely yet. She was in shock over what I had just done. I turned to her and a noise escaped my mouth. It didn't seem that she was going to calm down. I went to her side and asked, "You okay?"

"You...you jerk..." I moved back a bit at that response. "You have no idea how badly you scared me just then." she replied, her eyes shuddering in fear.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" I asked, trying to sound as calming as I could.

Her eyes looked to mine and the fear was doubled. She was reliving something. I tried to read what I could in her eyes before she turned away and left my side, cowering in fear. I stepped over, knelt beside her and said, "Kagome, I won't scare you again. Who scared you before? What caused this trauma?"

"The way you looked at me, reminded me of the way someone else looked upon me."

"Who?" I asked, hoping she would relent and tell me.

"Him." She replied as realization hit me. It was Kouga she was referring to. That mangy wolf. He scared her so badly that my playing around caused her to cower in fear. That jackass.

"How often has this kind of thing happened with him?" I asked.

"He's not just one of the passengers on the plane. He lives near me, and I have this feeling he follows me."

"Where? Just out of the country? Or everywhere?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I've seen him quite often around the area, and I see him looking at me." I tensed at that information. The jerk was following her.

I stood and held out my hand. She eyed me questioningly as I gestured for her to take my hand. When she did, I said to her, "Follow me." She followed me down the hall and towards the opposite direction. I knew only one option I had in protecting her. When we arrived at the room I was, guiding her to, I slid the door open and gestured for her to enter.

"Who's room is this?" She asked as she stepped in.

"Yours, for the time being." She turned to me in shock. "You heard me. Until I can take care of the wolf, you're staying here. And you're not gonna sway me from that decision. I will walk you back to help you pack what you need." I replied as my gaze turned out towards the grounds.

"What about your trip tomorrow night?"

I turned my gaze back to her as I replied with, "Cancelled."

* * *

Wow…This chapter really opened up many possibilities, didn't it? I certainly hope this chapter brought out some understanding and ended some confusion. Unless it created more…_Sigh_…I don't know. Well, I certainly hope this fic is enjoyable, and I certainly would love to hear your thoughts on this one since it's my first time writing a fic mainly in first person perspective. Well, 'til next time! Ja ne! 


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, now. It has been over a month since I updated this fic, so I shall start now, since my brain has finally relented into becoming creative once again :-D Thankfully with my focus changing in my life, I have become more creative as of late, writing-wise. So, hopefully that will mean more from me, more often. Enjoy!

A/N: This chapter is unlike the others in the fact that it is mainly in third person, at least in the beginning.

**Chapter 5**

Once Inuyasha had noticed Kagome was satisfied with her room, he led her from the room to the forest once again, on their way to her apartment. He warned her to keep close and not to run from him should anything happen along the way. He held her hand through the whole time until they boarded the bus, his eyes peeled all around them. Kagome hadn't noticed as they left the shrine, but the ears she had seen atop Inuyasha's head had disappeared and he looked as he did the first time she had laid eyes on him.

To everyone around them, Inuyasha was just some kid who either was rebellious and dyed his hair silver for kicks, or was the unfortunate one of the litter and ended up looking quite a bit different from his siblings. Sure, Kagome noticed the stares from the surrounding passengers on the bus they had grabbed just outside of town, but she tried to keep an open mind about their objective thoughts.

Inuyasha, however, tried to remain calm as he received the worst stares. He felt like he was sitting on a stool in a museum surrounded by glass and tons of onlookers directed to him by a sign saying, _'Strange looking youth'._ The last thing he wanted to do was upset Kagome by having problems with the staring. Weakness wasn't something he showed willingly. Kagome looked to him as she saw how they were looking at him, and leaned in close. Hoping she could share some of the slack. Inuyasha was surprised by her action. He figured she'd make the distance wider, not shorter. However, there they were, looking like a couple, when they were far from it.

After a few moments, everyone on the bus took the message that he was the latter (The unfortunate one of the litter) seeing as Kagome stood up for him willingly without question, giving them all a scrutinizing glare. They stayed close the rest of the ride 'til Kagome's stop came around. Once they got off the bus, Inuyasha decided he'd address some questions to Kagome.

"Oi, Kagome."

"Yeah?" Kagome responded over her shoulder.

"Just what was that, back there? What did you do to get them to stop staring?" Inuyasha asked as he huffed trying to follow her through the crowded walkway towards her apartment building.

"I let them know you had someone strong with you."

"Why?"

"Because it wasn't right how they were looking at you."

"But, it's not your problem."

"Still, people shouldn't be that mean to you. Just because you look a bit different, doesn't give them the right to stare at you as if you're some unworthy piece of trash, Inuyasha."

"I'm used to it."

"Still, it's wrong. I couldn't sit there and do nothing. It's unfair to you."

"But it makes me seem weak to them!" He shouted as she darted around a couple holding hands.

"No, it doesn't!" She shouted back over her shoulder.

"What do you mean, _'it doesn't'"_ He spat mimicking her voice. "Of course it does! It shows I don't know how to stand up for myself!"

"No, it doesn't. It shows that there's a true explanation for how you look since someone who looks like them is willing to be with you and close to you." Kagome explained as she stopped and turned around before him.

"Yeah? Well, don't think I need your sympathy. I've dealt with this for far longer than you've been alive, remember that." Inuyasha replied, his eyes boring through hers.

Kagome didn't say another word, but pointed to their left to show that they had finally arrived at the building. Inuyasha then directed her inside with a hand to her back as he eyed all around behind them. Once inside, he eyed the surroundings of the apartment foyer. Kagome punched in the code and they entered to arrive at the elevators. Once inside the elevator, Inuyasha leaned up against the wall and glared her way.

Kagome sighed as she began with, "I didn't mean to make you feel like less than a man, Inuyasha. I stood up for you."

"Why? You don't have to do me any favors. I'm supposed to be protecting you, here, not you protecting me." Inuyasha made clear as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, it's the least I can do with all you're willing to do for me." Kagome mentioned, gaining more of a relaxed look on his face. "I'm not thankless, Inuyasha. All of what you're doing means a lot to me."

Inuyasha turned his gaze to the side as he replied with, "You're welcome."

Kagome smiled warmly as he continued to stare off to the side. Once they reached her floor, they vacated the elevator and he followed her to her door. Inuyasha watched the hall as she unlocked the door. So far, no sight of the mangy wolf, but his putrid scent permeated the hallway. Once Kagome got the door open, Inuyasha stepped inside behind her and closed the door.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he slipped his shoes off and looked around her humble abode.

"Yeah?" she called from her bedroom as she grabbed a bag from her closet.

"You said Kouga lives in this building, right?" Inuyasha asked as he lightly fingered her soft couch.

"Yes, he does." Came from the direction of her bedroom.

"Not on this floor though, right?" He added as he looked at some pictures on her entertainment center.

"Yes."

He turned away from the pictures with a gasp. "Which one?"

"Just a door away, actually. That's what makes it so difficult to avoid him." She replied, as she nervously packed everything she needed.

"When did he move in?" Inuyasha asked as he stepped up to the hallway and stopped.

"After I did. I can't remember what month it was."

"Do you talk with him or anything?" Inuyasha asked as he leaned against the wall.

"Yeah. He brings me my mail sometimes, things like that. But, I generally try to avoid him."

Inuyasha snorted. As a guy himself, Inuyasha knew what Kouga was doing. He was using any measures necessary to get to talk to Kagome. The stupidity about it was no matter what signs or indications she'd give him, Kouga would remain blinded to her reactions. Obviously, her opinions of him mean nothing to him. Kouga was a predator, and Kagome was his prey, 'nough said.

As Inuyasha tossed up the situation in his mind, Kagome stepped past him, a big bag slung over her arm. She began to rifle through her desk in the corner for specific things as Inuyasha stepped away from the wall and up to the couch, leaning on it with his left hip as his left ankle crossed the right.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" she asked over her shoulder.

"You think you're gonna be coming back here after this?"

She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. The look he gave her was one of seriousness. "Why would you ask that? Of course, I'll be coming back here. This is my address, isn't it?"

"Keh. Not for a while, it isn't." Inuyasha replied simply.

"How can you dictate where I'm gonna call home? I will only be living with you temporarily. You think I can live without a paycheck? Without paying my bills?"

"Keh! I'll come get your mail."

"And why would I let you? Ya know, it's great what you're doing here, but there are thingsI can't trust you with just yet."

He took offense to her reply and closed the distance quickly. He stopped her digging by grabbing her arm and gaining her attention. "You can trust me more than that jackass, who has nothing on his agenda other than claiming you whether you like it or not!"

"I know, but I'm not going to just sit back and act as if I have nothing here, Inuyasha. This is temporary."

"Duh! But all I'm saying, is I can pick things up for you! You'll be safe at the mansion."

"Oh, so you'll pick up pads and tampons for me when I need them?" Inuyasha's eyes lost their focus and he dropped her arm as she continued, pushing him back from her. "Makeup? Clothes? Underwear? Shoes? Birth control pills?"

"Birth control pills?" Inuyasha asked with wide eyes.

"Yes!" Inuyasha ran his hands through his hair and turned his eyes to his feet. "Well, guess that answers that question." She said as she turned back to her desk.

"Yes." Kagome turned around in shock. "I'll provide anything necessary for you." Inuyasha replied as his gaze caught hers. She eyed him as his chin muscles clenched.

"Well, I have everything I need. I guess we can head back now." Kagome said with a shrug and they headed out the door.

They remained quiet the whole trip back. Kagome made sure to stick close to him, knowing that she could help him be comfortable at least on the way home. Inuyasha was surprising her. The fact that he'd go to such lengths as to buy feminine things for her, and risk humiliation every day. The more she thought about it, she realized that without her there, he probably had nothing much to do.

_'Well, Inuyasha is basically a hermit, isn't he? I wonder what he does alone in that gorgeous mansion all alone...'_ Kagome thought as they got off the bus and walked towards the shrine grounds. Once they reached the steps, Inuyasha knelt down before her. Kagome looked down and stared at him for a moment.

"Get on." Inuyasha said suddenly.

"Inuyasha, what are you..."

"I said, get on." He repeated.

Kagome looked both ways. Seeing that no one could see her do this, she climbed onto his back, he gripped her knees from beneath and then jumped high into the air. Kagome screamed as they sailed upwards and into the trees. Inuyasha made quick work of the distance as he leapt from tree to tree with Kagome gripping around his neck for dear life.

Inuyasha chuckled softly to himself as she screamed at each jump from one tree to another. Just hearing her scream in utter terror gave him a rush, and made him wanna try more maneuvers to hear her scream. He found himself taking a few slight detours just for that reason to come to land right before the mansion on the other side.

Kagome climbed from his back and fell over as she tried to kick him. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Inuyasha laughed as he stepped towards her and gloated. "You didn't like my way of getting past the shrine grounds? Pretty efficient, wouldn't you say?"

"Damn near killed me a couple times back there!" Kagome spat as she dusted herself off.

Inuyasha chuckled. "And you're worried about me running errands for you?" Kagome looked to him in question. "That is how I go to town. As long as I stay above their heads, they have no clue I'm there." Inuyasha pointed out.

"So, that's why I've never seen you other than on the plane." Kagome finally put two and two together.

"Yep. I can't hide very well on a plane, or in the stores. But, I can hide otherwise. I have no choice but to be careful, Kagome." Inuyasha said over his shoulder as he walked towards the mansion.

Kagome watched him continue towards the front door of the mansion. The only thought that continued to go through her mind at that point was, _'I can't believe I have never known that such a being existed all this time.' _One thing was certain, he was right. Now that she had him in her life, it would never be the same again. Goodbye semi-normal life.

* * *

Once Kagome found her way to her room, she settled her clothes inside the drawers, and set up her own personal touches here and there to make it feel slightly like home. Her apartment was decorated western style, whereas Inuyasha's dwellings were of the traditional flavor. 

One thing was certain. Inuyasha was definitely confusing her. Sure, Inuyasha wanted her trust, and he was obviously working to gain it, but why? Nothing made sense. As far as she could tell, he was just as hungry for something as Kouga was. However, Inuyasha's motives were a mystery.

As she decided to leave the room, she found her way towards the dojo. She peeked in, and saw the room empty, the sword back on the rack. She then slid the shoji shut and continued on her exploration of the vast home.

* * *

Inuyasha was once again at his perch in the tower, watching the forest, as he thought about all that had recently happened. All the years of flights, all the expenses that went towards his avoidance of his curse, and of the woman, he now considers a boarder. 

Inuyasha had been confused over the way Kagome had brought him to feel. That was with only one other. Kikyo, his first and only love. When he decided to drop the stupidity and give his heart to her, Naraku stepped in and destroyed all he had.

Now, he found himself in a questionable situation with another woman hundreds of years later, who seems to remind him of Kikyo in some ways. The fact that she could sense him, see his ears and tell there was something off about him was evidence enough that she had some gifts.

Humph. Gifts, which could be both her undoing as well as her guide in decisions. As he sat back and looked out into the cloudy evening sky, the thought that went through his mind was, _'Kagome's the first woman to inhabit these walls since my mother's death centuries ago.'_

Inuyasha smiled slightly at the thought of having a woman within those walls once again, when his mind regained focus on the situation at hand. Kouga. Sure, Kagome was safe where Inuyasha had her, but if Kouga were keen enough, he'd follow Kagome's scent to the shrine at least.

Wolf noses are keen, but not nearly as clarified as a dog's nose. Kouga thinks in terms of packs whereas a dog just finds a human and settles. Wolves like to rule their pack members. Not only would Kouga lay claim to Kagome in a forceful way and implore her to submit, but he'd also rule her. Under Kouga, Kagome would have no rights.

Inuyasha, being half dog demon hated the ways of the wolf demons. Inuyasha believed that the woman he'd love wouldn't be a pack member, but the one to bare his pups. The one to carry his blood and flesh inside of her willingly. The relationship between human females and dog demons is very loving, not predatory in the sense of a pack with delegations.

If there was one thing Inuyasha learned from his mother about who his father was, it was how the Taiyoukai viewed the marriage to his human mother. InuTaisho protected her at all costs, even at the cost of his own life. Seeing as how Inuyasha was beginning to feel towards the simple woman living with him now, he would protect her from that wolf just the same.

Suddenly, a groan filled the room, reminding Inuyasha that he hadn't eaten anything recently with all that running around for Kagome. He put a hand to his stomach at the thought that she's probably as hungry as he was. He stood from his spot on the wooden floor, and descended the staircase once again in search of his ward.

Once Inuyasha reached the open foyer where he had bumped into Kagome a few hours earlier, he sniffed the air to see if she had passed through there recently. Sure enough, Kagome had past and gone towards the dojo not long ago. Inuyasha made his way down the open hall to the dojo. Doing as she had earlier, he glanced into the dojo to find it empty. Inuyasha then followed suit and her scent towards the kitchen area.

As Inuyasha neared the kitchen, his nose caught another scent. The scent of something sweet, but delicious. He stepped under the short curtain hanging over the doorway and looked into the kitchen to see her cooking at the stove.

Kagome tensed ever slightly and stopped her ministrations at the stove to look over her shoulder at the man of the house. She smiled sweetly and greeted him with, "I hope you don't mind, but I found the kitchen before you, and I was a bit hungry. So, I figured I'd look around and see what I could whip up for us to eat."

Inuyasha stepped further into the kitchen without a word in response. As he watched her cook, he imagined what it must have been like when his mother or her servants cooked within those walls. The smell assaulting his nostrils was making his mouth water and his stomach ache for a taste. The thought of her being a good cook never even crossed his mind. Heck, he was lucky she trusted him to protect her.

That's when it hit Inuyasha. Kagome could have turned away from him. She could have turned him down as far as his proposal of allowing her to live under this roof with him, but she didn't. Kagome accepted willingly. At that realization, Inuyasha relaxed and leaned his elbows against the nearest chair at the table as he watched her joyfully cook for the both of them.

Before he knew it, Kagome was finished cooking their dinner. She began looking all around for serving dishes, chopsticks, bowls, tea mugs and the like. Inuyasha then decided to step in and find everything for her, making it easier to serve everything quickly. Those actions and their interaction seemed so normal, like they had been living that way for years.

Once everything was finally served, they both said, "Itadakimasu" and ate happily, enjoying each other's company for the first time. They tried not to think about how or why they had reached that situation, or what may happen later. The 'here and now' was pleasant enough to let worries go out the window as they filled their tummies on good food.

* * *

Late evening hours found the lights in the mansion to fade. Inuyasha guided Kagome back to her room, hoping she would be able to find her way back the next time around, since her room was a few rooms away from his. One thing that came up as they sat in the living room watching television was where he would sleep. Inuyasha told her he'd keep his distance, and would not peek in on her. Of course, it took some convincing 'til Kagome finally decided to take his word for it since she didn't have much of a choice. 

When Kagome had stepped into her room and slid the door shut, Inuyasha began to step away when she called his name sweetly. Inuyasha stopped and turned back to the shoji. "Yeah?"

"Oyasumi nasai. Arigato, Inuyasha." Flowed through the shoji to his sensitive ears as if on a soft breeze that flowed from her very mouth.

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he inwardly grunted at how beautiful his name sounded coming from her lips just then. "Doitashimashite. Oyasumi." He replied as he then continued on to his own room for the night, that voice ringing through his ears repeatedly. Once Inuyasha had reached his room, he sat against the shoji, nearest the door. Inuyasha usually would lie upon the futon he had in the closet, but since he had someone to protect, even at night, he made sure he could spring to her side at a moment's notice of any sounds coming from her direction.

Kagome found the futon Inuyasha had provided for her earlier, laid it out onto the floor, and then undressed into her nightclothes. Kagome shook her head at the thought that she should have taken the opportunity to ask him to allow her to shop for nightclothes that would be more appropriate. What she had brought were her normal sport's bra, and hip hugger panties. Kagome felt naked, even though she knew he was nowhere near her. She bit the bullet, climbed onto the futon and under the blanket as she then willed her fears away since all was silent and peaceful, compared to the usual night annoyances that come with living in an apartment building. That night, Kagome fell asleep to the sound of birds chirping, wind blowing through the trees, and chirping of the crickets instead of honking horns and blaring music.

Peace reigned over the mansion for a time, as the only sounds heard were the crickets and branches of the trees swaying in the breeze. Inuyasha slept deeply and silently as he leaned against the door to his room, the shoji rumbling every now and then from the breeze. With every sound, Inuyasha's ears flicked in each aforementioned direction the sounds came from. As his body and eyes slumbered, his ears worked on overtime, as his mind formed his surroundings and their sounds into a made-up dream.

Least, 'til a strange sound caught his attention. Inuyasha's eyes slid open, focusing on the direction the sounds came from. Kagome's room. He hadn't heard any strange sounds coming from the forest, the grass surrounding the house, or any footsteps. The sounds continued as he listened intently. His breath caught in his throat. Inuyasha held on as the sounds became strained. She was having a nightmare, it seemed.

As Inuyasha continued to listen, it began to worry him. It seemed movements were happening from Kagome's bedroom as her breathing shifted to nervous pants, as she gasped and squeaked. "Kagome…" Inuyasha said aloud as he slid the door open and shot in her direction. He stopped just outside the shoji doors to her chamber as he heard her much clearer. The girl seemed to be moving around. Her voice sounded choked and strained.

Inuyasha slid the door open and shot his head in to see Kagome alone, on her futon. Sweat was covering her body as her head thrashed, her body making strange movements in her sleep. Inuyasha scrunched his face as he knelt down beside her to awaken her by saying her name. Kagome continued to writhe on the futon, her body moving fiercely as she cried out. Inuyasha then grabbed hold of her shoulders, hoping to stop her dream. Her dream was unbreakable it seemed as he realized he would have to lift her, shake her, do whatever necessary to get her to awaken. Inuyasha then took initiative as he continued to call out her name to no avail. He then shifted and straddled her body to stop her movements.

"_No! Stop! Leave me be! Get off me!" I shouted, as the weight wouldn't lift from my hips. His hands held mine down against the futon as he called out terrible things to me. Things he wanted to do to me. Strangely enough though, he kept saying my name after ever line he said._

_I fought against him as hard as I could; my body was covered in sweat as he then reached to hold my chin. He knelt closer to me as if to kiss me. The smile was mischievous. I groaned as his lips came closer. I wished I could move some part of my body to stop him, but I can't!_

Kagome screamed out as Inuyasha leant in closer to whisper to her sweetly, hoping not to scare her as he thought he was doing. She gained a strange and fearful look on her face as he said her name and told her she was having a bad dream. Inuyasha could feel her struggle against his weight. He kept Kagome's legs and arms at bay, hoping not to get hurt because of her dream. His warm breath puffed against her face as he remained ever so close to keep hold on her as his hands pinned her wrists to the futon and his legs held her feet to the floor as his hips held hers to the futon. His body covered hers, his weight too much for her to move.

"_What do you want from me? You're scaring me! Get off me!" I shouted. He only grunted, not releasing me at all. I wrenched my hand in an awkward way to scratch the top of his hand. He grunted in pain as he then shifted to restrain my hands, their backs held to the floor as he laced his fingers in mine._

_Palm to palm, hip to hip, tummy to tummy, he held me flush against the futon, talking maniacally. I was frightened now more than ever. He had me right where he wanted me, in submission. After I had tried to avoid him, he came for me anyways. No one can hide me now. No one can protect me at all. Is there truly a savior out there?_

"_INUYASHAAAA!" I shouted as loud as I could._

Inuyasha backed off a bit when she shouted his name. He then realized what was going on. He thought about it for a second. Inuyasha then decided to play into the dream a bit, hoping he could wrench her from that nightmare. He then spoke as if someone else had entered and had caught another on top of her. Kagome quieted at that point. Inuyasha then pulled himself off with a grunt, and harshly smacked the wall on purpose beside him as her eyes then shot open. Inuyasha stood there and saw Kagome make eye contact with him.

"Inuyasha? What happened?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing. You had a bad dream." Inuyasha stated simply.

"Oh. You mean…Wait. What did you see? Did you hear anything?" Kagome asked as she then sat up and looked down at herself. She gasped and hugged her arms to her half naked body.

"Nice sleep attire." Inuyasha snorted as he eyed her perfect body.

"Pervert!" Kagome shouted as she pulled the blanket over her body.

Inuyasha shook his head as he knelt down beside her and held a piece of cloth to her sweat-covered forehead. "That dream seemed awfully real the way you were acting. You woke me up a few rooms away." He said lightly in concern. "When I woke, you were making such noises that indicated a struggle. I had no choice but to check up on you. When I looked in, you were as you are now, only struggling against some unknown foe."

Kagome gasped as he continued to explain. "I tried to wake you by calling your name, but you continued to thrash and struggle. I then tried to hold you stable, and it took all my body to do so. I guess it was the wrong thing to do because I believe you saw me as an attacker."

Kagome's eyes shot wide at those words. "Then…You mean…That weight I felt was…" Inuyasha nodded. "So, it was your voice I heard? Screwing up the attacker's words?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"He kept repeating my name and saying it between words throughout his sentences. I couldn't understand why." Inuyasha just eyed her as she put it all together. "You mean…you were on top of me!" she shouted as she braced herself.

"Yes." Inuyasha stated without regard. Hell, it was the truth.

"You asshole! I can't believe you planted your body over mine! Are you a rapist or something?" Kagome asked as she knelt, ready to attack him if he gave the wrong answer.

"No! I was afraid you were going to hurt yourself! I would never attack a woman in her sleep!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Yeah, right! Get out of my room!" Kagome shouted as she threw her pillow at him.

"Not 'til you tell me who you thought I was!" Inuyasha shouted as the pillow landed on the floor before him.

"I thought you were Kouga!" Inuyasha gasped in shock.

"Kagome, tell me something. Did he attack you head on? Were you reliving something?"

"No! Just get out of here!"

"He did, didn't he? Tell me!" Inuyasha shouted in desperation.

Kagome crossed her arms around herself as she lowered her head and whispered, "Just go. I'm tired."

Inuyasha eyed Kagome for a moment longer as he then crept to her side, pulled her into his arms and laid his chin on her head, comforting her so she could calm down. Kagome realized what Inuyasha was doing and then leaned into his embrace. Suddenly, as the dream ran through her head once again, she began to cry. There they sat, Kagome in his arms as she shed tears of fear. Inuyasha slowly rocked her back and forth, his hand rubbing her back to calm her.

'_This girl has seen some horrors she's not telling me about. She needs me more than I need her obviously. I refuse to let her leave until she tells me her past, and lets me heal her soul.' _Inuyasha decided as he comforted the crying girl in his arms as the crickets chirped outside, serenading the night.

* * *

Wow, this story becomes more interesting. Now, keep in mind, I have no idea what Kagome's past entails, so we'll all have to see in the future, won't we? I have to say, it's fun being just as compelled in a story's mysteries as my fans are. I think it makes writing a conquest, as well as an art. Thanks for reading, and I hope this chapter was just as good as the others, if not better. 'Til next time, ja ne! 


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Oi, it has been a while, but I have made the necessary changes needed to make this chapter, and the chapters to come possible. With the schedule I have formed for myself, I should be able to once again, put out at least one chapter a week :-D So, rest easy, you'll have more to read more often. Thanks again for your patience, everyone.

**Chapter 6**

Once Kagome finally fell asleep, I laid her back upon the futon and covered her body with the comforter. I watched her for a few moments as she settled and then moved to the wall opposite her, beside the shoji.

What is it she's hiding? She's obviously had some run-ins with that Koga jerk. I'm not sure if she will tell me or not. 'Course, she needs to learn to trust me first. She doesn't trust me yet if she thinks I'd attack her. The question is, since I can't hold her here forever, what am I going to do with those jerk plaguing her dreams?

I thought things over thoroughly as Kagome slept. After about an hour, she continued to sleep peacefully. I realized I wasn't going to get to sleep with such a noisy mind. So, I stood, slid the shoji open as I stepped out onto the porch and I looked out into the night. Being lazy, I shut the shoji with my foot, shielding her from my presence.

Now that Kikyo has returned to my mind fondly after so many years, Kagome's face began to look similar to Kikyo's. Only differences are her innocent eyes and her free spirit, unaware of any major responsibility. I turned and looked at the shoji door. Her breathing still told me she was still out cold. With the thoughts nagging at my brain, I got up and entered her room again.

As the moonlight spilled into the room, my shadow covered all but her face. I stepped a bit closer, letting more light in and then sat beside her. Sure enough, seeing her laying there sleeping, it was as if I had been thrown back through time. It was as if Kikyo never died.

As I continued to eye her sleeping face, I thought about how I was towards her in the beginning. I was such an asshole. Sure, I had my reasons for the attitude problem, but now...I think I need to rethink my attitude from now on. Why? Well, she's been very kind and polite to me, even with my badass chip I slap at her when I open my mouth. Not only that, but there's just something about her; her aura seems strange now that she's not aware consciously of her surroundings. Out of all the humans I've interacted with over the years, she's the only one in this era I've felt anything akin to a priestess.

She seemed to live quite an interesting life, not mentioning much of her family. To my knowledge, she seems to be all alone out there and I don't believe she's fully aware of her capabilities. This girl is alive for some important purpose, not for the crazy life she has conjured up for herself. She needs a more relaxed life.

Would I be able to provide such a life for her? I don't know for sure. She's beautiful, kind, and let's just face it, people out there just plain suck, end of story. Especially the men out there. Tsch, I'm honestly ashamed of them. I would never force a woman into submission. That sort of thought never crossed my mind in the presence of a woman. Sure, there's a lot I am hiding as well, but it's not the right time for show and tell.

I wonder how long she will allow me to protect her. Having a woman under this roof seems refreshing. I almost don't want to let her go, but I guess I'll have to if she asks me. I just don't trust the world with this woman for some reason. All right, I admit it. Well, almost to myself, she's grown on me a bit. Her presence does something to me, okay? Geeze...No, I haven't gone soft. Hell no! I just can't allow something horrid to continue when I can do something to help. Got a problem with it? Good. Believe me, I know what I'm doing.

Now, that that's settled, I left her sleeping form and closed the shoji once more. I stood at attention as I concentrated, and sniffed the air to make sure nothing could be detected. (Sniff, sniff) So far, so good. I sighed and stepped down the hall towards the tower stairs.

Once I arrived in the tower room, I opened a couple windows and let the nice breeze in, bringing the scents of the forest with it. I chose to spend the rest of the night up there so that I can monitor not only the sounds inside the mansion, but also the forest. Plus, I also wanted to keep at a distance from Kagome. She was a major distraction.

After a few minutes of opening the windows and listening carefully, I sat down and leant my back against the wall. I closed my eyes, letting my senses of scent and sound concentrate harder. With my being a hanyou, sometimes my eyes can outweigh and distract from my stronger attributes. The rest of the night, I slept very lightly in the tower to the sounds of the forest.

* * *

As a ray of sun bled through my eyelids, I lifted my hands to rub the sleep from my eyes. I blinked a few times and then stretched with a yawn.

(Kagome's POV)

I awoke to the fresh smell of dew as the sun's rays peeked between the shoji to grace my eyes. I adjusted my yukata to close a bit more, and re-tied the straps. When I slid the shoji open, I was met be absolute calm. The only sound being that of the soft breeze through the trees across the way. I stepped out and walked towards the main hall.

Strangely, as I arrived in the main hall, I sensed something. Some strange feeling I vaguely remembered feeling before energized my senses. I eyed the different directions as I searched for the source. I then sensed the energy flowing from the stairway where I had bumped into Inuyasha the day before. Taking another chance, I let curiosity carry me up those stairs once again.

As I ascended, sure enough, the energy was getting stronger. Once I reached high enough, I was met by light. I reached the top most steps and looked around in awe as I turned my head to survey everything. Suddenly, I heard a sound. I looked in the corner and saw Inuyasha. He was in mid-yawn, bearing a mouth full of pearly whites, and among them were four sharp and prominent fangs. I stood still as he awoke as focused his gaze on me with a start.

(Inuyasha's POV)

'What the...? How did she find me?' She stood before me with such a look of shock on her face that it seemed she was afraid I'd punish her for wandering. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"No, I just...got curious is all." She replied shyly.

"Curious about what?" I asked as I let my arms drop to the floor beside my hips.

"I felt something." She answered as she averted her gaze.

"What do you mean?" I was dumbfounded by what she was trying to say.

"Nothing..." She tried to drop the subject, obviously, as he turned her attention to the windows.

"What do you mean? Nothing...You looked spooked just a minute ago." Now I'm definitely confused.

She didn't answer, but gained a far-off look as if she was trying to hide the truth. Fat chance! "Look, if you have a problem with me, just say it." She turned to give me a smile and a cheerful look in her eyes. Now I know she's hiding something.

"No, no problem. I was just curious about what was up here. You blocked my way yesterday, so I decided to try again." She replied as she turned her smile to the forest.

"Then what was up with the look you gave me just a few moments ago?" I was beginning to get frustrated.

"What look?" She asked as she turned a questioning gaze at me.

"Whatta ya mean, 'What look'? The one akin to a deer in the headlights! That look!" I spat as I mimicked her voice. She wasn't gonna get this past me.

"Oh! I just didn't expect to see you up here. So, I was startled." She shrugged it off!

"And?"

"And what?" She started to look testy.

"You said you felt something. What did you feel?" She's gotta answer sometime.

"It's not important. Don't worry about it." She waved her hands as if the look and her previous demeanor meant nothing.

"Keh!" I snapped as I descended the stairs. She was so infuriating! Not only that, but now I have to find somewhere else to sulk.

(Kagome's POV)

Sigh I didn't mean to upset him. I just can't open up to him just yet. There's so much going on in my head that I can't fish out an anchor. Not only has it been Koga, but many others.

To be honest, I've kept people at a distance due to my experiences and fear of what may happen next. Inuyasha doesn't know this, but I am afraid of men, period. Men have eyed me like a jewel, possession, piece of gold, take your pick. And nothing I could say would turn them away.

Actually, I'm a bit new to Tokyo, save for the few times I was brought here to visit the shrine. I've only lived here for a couple of years. I've had to move frequently when I became of age in order to protect myself. Heck, I've even gone so far as to use false names when introducing myself. Of course, it's always the same outcome. And, now this?

I've wound up under another man's protection. What's strange, is this is the first time a man of Inuyasha's caliber stepped up to protect me. I'm just as confused about him as he is about me. Why is he doing all this for me? What is his gain? Does he want what they wanted? Doesn't seem like he does. As I pondered those thoughts, I turned from the beautiful view and followed him down the stairs.

(Narration)

As the day wore on, Kagome explored the mansion a bit more while Inuyasha took to sulking in a tree close to the estate. She was puzzling him well enough to give the situation great thought in silence.

(Inuyasha's POV)

Why am I doing this again? I'm unsure of what is causing me to feel protective of her. There's something about her, which calls to me. I can't even get her out of my head. She's only been her for a day and a half and she's already so far under my skin that I can't seem to get rid of that feeling. The feeling that something's not right.

That presence I feel when I'm near her, the way Koga seemed so possessive of her when he hadn't even mated with her. This had dominance written all over it. I mean, even I've felt the power radiating from her. It draws me in. Possibly into her soul.

The weird part is I've been around mortals with spiritual powers and I've never felt a pull to them as I feel to her. I feel this strong territorial need to protect her. What is it about her? I decided then to go check her out closer, maybe even touch her aura to see if she has any control over it.

(Kagome's POV)

So, there it is, the bath. I looked around and saw a faucet set through a bucket. I set the water temperature and decided to fill the tub as I stripped of my clothes.

As I filled the wash bucket, I sat upon the stool and poured a bit of the water over my naked body, and then lathered the soap in my hands. A sweet scent filled my nose from the suds. Strangely enough, these actions seemed like second nature to me, even though I'd never used a Japanese style bathroom. All that I could hope is that this isn't the only bathing room in the whole mansion.

Once I had finished lathering my body with the freshly scented soap and shampoo, I poured the rest of the water over my head and shoulders as I sat on the stool. Letting the fresh water fall in droplets down my body to wash the suds away. I eyed the tub, and saw it was filled enough. I turned the faucet off and stood from the stool.

I let out a relaxing sigh as I settled my clean body in the warm water. I then opened my eyes after a few moments and eyed the rest of the room. I then saw a yukata draped off a hook on the wall on the other side of the linen shelving, which I hadn't seen before. It was cream colored, and was mended quite a few times. As I looked closer, I noticed a few poorly stitched frayed edges.

"Must be Inuyasha's yukata" I said aloud as my eyes remained on the garment. With it looking as beat up as it does, I began to wonder how old it is. Throughout the mansion, there are old paintings, vases, and furniture. The newest rooms in the mansion are the kitchen and the dojo as far as modernized. Everything else seemed older, repaired and maintained well.

As my eyebrows peaked up, the thought of Inuyasha's skills as a homeowner and maintenance man, surprises me. Hois clothes mending however…

After about fifteen minutes of staring at the garment, I stepped out of the tub and crossed the room to the garment holding my attention. I reached up and took it from the hook. I felt the thin fabric and then lifted it to my nose. A variety of smells sailed into my nose. Unfamiliar scents graced my senses. Nothing like the usual scent an everyday man would leave behind, but one of the scents reminded me of wet-dog, strangely enough. The fabric was soft and weathered very well. During my exploration of the garment, I noticed a barrage of yellow stains, which accompany many of the shabbily mended slits.

Just as I had held the garment before me, the door slid open, forcing a scream to fly from my mouth as I wrapped said yukata around the front of my naked and wet body. "Oh…Sorry…" Inuyasha said shyly as he then turned his face to look into the corner with a blush to his cheeks.

"Is there something you needed?" I asked, seeing as he wasn't leaving.

"Wrap that around you properly, please. I won't look." He replied with his back facing me. I eyed him for a few seconds and then did as he asked, the yukata hanging off my thin frame.

"Okay." I said, signaling that I had tied the ties.

"Kagome, I need to talk to you about something." The handsome hanyou said as he faced me once again, his eyes soft and underlined with a blush.

"What is it?" I asked as I took a seat on the edge of the tub as I leaned back to squeeze the excess water from my long and thick locks.

(Inuyasha's POV)

"You never told me about your past. I'm curious because…" I stopped my question because the actions she was performing caused my voice to catch in my throat. Here I am, wanting to ask her a simple question, and here she's making my blood heat up while wearing my old yukata, no less.

"Yes?" She asked, turning her eyes to me as she continued to squeeze the water from her hair.

"Well…Because I've noticed something about you."

"What?" She asked as she sat up straight to give me her full attention.

"A power of yours."

"A power? Me? Well, my grandfather is the only one I know who claims to be able to ward of evil. But, I doubt if I have any power, it didn't come from him. Especially since, I haven't trained with him. I chose not to. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you seem to give off an aura. Stronger than any other human I've ever encountered, even in a human priestess. I'd like to know why."

"Hmmm. Are you sure?" She asked as her eyebrows scrunched up and she wrapped her arms securely around her torso.

"Well, you obviously wouldn't know since you're untrained and no one ever told you. There's no way you could have known since no one else around you can sense it. Least of all a human." I explained, thanking Kami that the subject was enough to distract my need for her.

"What kind of power are you talking about?" She asked, angling her eyes to scrutinize me.

"A pure aura. That of a formidable priestess." I replied as I stepped closer, piercing her eyes with mine. "One that could purify even the most powerful of demons. Including Kouga and me." I stopped about a foot before her and glared slightly.

"I didn't know. When did you notice this?" She asked, giving me a nervous look.

"Last night while you were asleep. The room radiated with your aura. Especially when you had that nightmare. I had to keep my wits about me to protect myself in case you were to try and purify me in your struggling." I explained as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Wow. What can I do? You know I mean you no harm." She replied simply.

"I know. Only thing is, I have another question you're not gonna like. I feel drawn to you. Spiritually. I can't explain why, but I feel this territorial need to protect you. Protect you from everyone." I explained as I knelt before her. I reached up and brushed her bangs behind her ear. "It's not just Kouga you've had to fight off. Am I right?" I asked softly.

She sat there as her nerves set in. After a moment, she whispered, "Yes."

I gazed into her eyes for a moment and then said, "I now know why. Kagome, it's your purity. Your pure energy draws anyone who's curious."

(Kagome's POV)

I couldn't think straight. Here I am, draped in his yukata, sitting on the edge of his bathtub, and he's kneeling before me. His gaze went from strong to soft and then to needy within a matter of moments. My heartbeat sped away as he ran his hand through my wet hair, only to settle on my shoulder. His eyes never left mine for a second. There was something there I couldn't help but wonder about.

"Inu…Yasha…What are you doing?" I asked nervously as my body began to tremble.

He sighed as his gaze held firm. "I don't know…I can't seem to move from you." His hands found their way to my waist as he shifted slightly, his stomach pressing at my knees slightly. My breath hitched as his face slowly inched closer, his eyes slowly closing. I felt his breath caress my face as his lips touched mine. The kiss was chaste and soft. My breath released at the comfort of his lips against mine as he did the same.

Before we knew, what was happening, his arms were around me, and he had parted my legs to move in closer as the kiss deepened. I hadn't been in a relationship since high school, but this…This felt different. The kiss was filled with more than what he meant to express. Even with his passionately tight grip on my body, I let myself enjoy the kiss he was giving.

(Inuyasha's POV)

I can't explain it. What's drawing me to her? I didn't mean to kiss her. Well, maybe I'm in denial…Her body just feels so good in my arms. It's almost as if…_She's_ here. Kissing me. Oh, Kami. What am I doing? I barely even know this girl! "Mmmm…" This _is_ Kagome, isn't it? Oh hell, I can't tell…"Kikyo…I missed you."

(Kagome's POV)

I gasped as I pulled away. What did he just moan? His eyes shot open. "What? What's wrong?"

"What did you just say?"

"What do you mean? I didn't say anything." Liar…

"You said something like, 'Kikyo, I missed you.' What does that mean?" He looked at me dumbfounded.

"Oh…I was thinking about…Aw, shit!" He stood from me and stepped from the room abruptly, slamming the door shut.

I sat there after he left and tried to gather what he had just said and did. So, _that_ was it. He's not attracted to _me_, he's still attracted to _her_. To this Kikyo he was in love with. Well, still in love with, obviously.

I touched my fingers to my lips. That kiss was so intense, so…wonderful. As I tried to calm myself, I reached down, pulled the plug to drain the water and walked to the mirror. That was when I saw it. The thin material had soaked in the water from my body and made the yukata see through! "AHHHHH!"

I crossed my arms over my chest as I grabbed a towel from one of the shelves behind me, slipped out of the wet yukata and wrapped the long and fluffy towel around me. Then I hung up his yukata and grabbed my things on my way out of the bathroom. I walked in the direction of my room and quietly walked down the hallway towards my room. The further I went, the more sounds I heard coming from the dojo ahead of me.

As I came upon those doors, I stopped. The sounds I heard were grunts and panting followed by harsh footfalls and squeaks upon the wood. I could also hear a large weapon slice through the air. What he was going through back there was obviously confusing enough for him to need to work it off.

Curiosity got the best of me as I slid the shoji open just enough to see him standing in a stance, his back facing me. Suddenly, he stopped, tensed and shot a glance at me over his shoulder. I gasped and ran from the dojo and down to my room where I was originally headed.

As I reached my room, I slid the doors shut and slid to the floor across from them. I may have caught his eyes for a split second, but that was just enough time to get a shot of his chi through me. I was wrong. He wasn't confused. He seemed angry.

(Inuyasha's POV)

I felt the need to hit something. What I said to her was completely stupid. I didn't mean to call her 'Kikyo'. Kikyo was the only woman I've ever been intimate with. Thought she woulda figured that out by now.

(Sigh)I sheathed Tetsussaiga after I turned my gaze from the crack in the shoji. Thoughts plagued my mind about the past and the present. Thoughts of a nature in regards of awakenings. Three in fact. Once, when Kikyo awoke my heart for the first time. I began to believe that there truly was hope for me in this world. The second being the girl who awakened me from the spell I had been enslaved under for centuries. The third awakening. Kagome, a descendant from a line of mikos and priests.

What does this all mean? Why must I continue to run into these situations? Why me? I'm just a half-man, an abomination that has existed too long. Alone. All alone. Before and after Kikyo, I saw myself as less than worthy. At least of the heart of someone like Kagome.

I set the sword on the rack and eyed all three. One to protect, one to revive, and one to conquer. All three left for me. My father carried them all, though the other two, I dare not touch. The one to conquer, Sounga, is protected by a barrier surrounding the sheath, keeping the beast of a blade dormant.

Tenseiga, I don't know how to wield. Sure, it was used to revive my mother in the past, but as it was carried by Sesshomaru for many hundreds of years, it rejects me, just as Tetsussaiga rejects him. The question I have, is why would all three fall into my hands when I can not wield the other two?

(Kagome's POV)

(Pant…Pant…)The chi I felt through the shoji was amazing. It brought goose bumps down my arms, legs and spine. Almost pure anger I felt. What brought on the emotion in him? Was it something I said? There won't be any approaching him tonight. Maybe I should stay here, where I'm out of his way. (Groaning) Oof, my stomach is empty. I wrapped my arms around my stomach as the hunger pangs hit. After a few moments, I forced the fear out of my head and opened the door. I looked both ways, and sent out feelers to sense where Inuyasha's aura was flowing form. Once I sensed that he still lurked in the direction of the dojo, I then walked to the kitchen.

I opened the fridge and saw nothing but bundles of meat. No doubt, caught and cleaned meat Inuyasha hunted from the forest before he brought me here. I opened the freezer, and sure enough, frozen meats and fish fillets. I then stepped away to the cabinets. The pantry was full of ramen and soup makings.

"Not much variety, eh?" I said aloud.

"Gotta problem with it?" I heard from the doorway. I gasped and turned suddenly at the remark.

"No. I'm just not used to so much meat is all. You don't even have rice." I commented.

"I don't like rice as much as I like ramen. I buy some every now and then." He shrugged.

"Humph. I think we need to go shopping today." I said as I opened the freezer again to decide on fish.

"Whatta ya need?" Inuyasha asked as he leaned his back against the doorframe and looked at his claws.

"You need me to make a list?" I asked.

"Naw. I'll remember."

"Okay. Seaweed, rice and plenty of it. Eggs, Mochi…"

"Mochi? What's that?"

"You don't know what Mochi is?" I asked with a deer-in-the-headlights look on my face.

"Nope. I may shop, but since I stay away from people, I don't know what they've experienced or eaten." He shrugged.

"Oh, well I'm going to alleviate that really quickly." I boasted as I went back to thinking about what I'd like to fill his oversized and empty cupboards with.

"Tsch, you can try, but my tongue is as sensitive as a dog's, so nothing spicy." Inuyasha pointed out as he eyed me lazily.

"Okay, then. We'll start simple." I said as I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper as I wrote down a short list of things for him to buy.

When I handed him the paper, he stuffed it lazily into his back pocket and started walking out while saying, "I hope you're a good cook, 'cuz I only know how to cook over an open flame."

I then looked around me at the nicely equipped kitchen and saw every appliance under the sun, and very expensive on top of it all. "He has all this, and he can only cook over an open flame? This doesn't make sense. Any chef worth his salt could only dream of owning a kitchen like this!" I exclaimed.

Then the thought hit me, this kitchen may have been fully functional to medieval standards long ago, and he just decided to keep it alive by updating it properly. I sat upon one of the chairs at the table and eyed the handy work and the love Inuyasha had obviously put into the home. "He must have loved his mother. I bet most of this is to please her. It's stereotypical to think it, but in most cases like this, it's generally the woman who is pleased by a fully functional kitchen." I said aloud to myself.

* * *

Well, I know there's still more to go into this day, but I felt this was a good place to end this chapter, since my mind's wanderings into the grocery store with Inuyasha meant the possibility for some interesting moments. Not only that, but just the grocery trip alone, we all know, could be interestingly told in such detail that it would take much longer than I'm able to spend at the moment. I'm just glad I finally got this chapter finished, since it's taken me over a month to finish the sucker! So, again, I thank you all for your patience, which you hopefully won't have to endure any longer, since I have an actual schedule where I can plan to write. However, the most important factor is a clear and unstrained mind, which was difficult to achieve a month or so ago. I'm just happy I have the time to entertain once again. Well, 'til next time, ja ne! 


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, it certainly has been a while since I updated this fic, but I assure you, I have more time for writing now, since I have a laid-back job for the time being. Although I am writing the chapters at work again, I am writing them up on paper still, and having to type them up afterwards. So, having made accommodations for this task, I will undoubtedly have more chapters up on a timelier basis. So, without further a due, here is the next chapter of Avoidance. Enjoy!

A/N: I have recently been asked to change the language in this fic's chapters. Now while the party who requested this is a fan of my work, the response I am unfortunately making here, is that I am not about to change the character Inuyasha in order to make him a more wholesome entity in this story. The reason why, is simply because this story focuses on his inner thoughts and his behaviors on how he deals with the situations at hand. All those, including me, who know and deeply love Inuyasha as a deep, fun and charismatic character to write, honor the character as a whole, and do not change a thing. I do apologize for not being able to accommodate 'everyone', but please appreciate that I am writing him as close to the original character as I possibly can simply because I love the original Japanese translation over the Americanized translation of his wonderful story. Thank you.

**Chapter 7**

I eyed the list as I hopped down from the porch, my cap dangling from my fingers. She wasn't kidding. Kagome had food on the list I have either never heard of before, or have never liked, period. And, on top of that, I now know that she requires heavy absorbency pads! Geeze! And…tampons? What the fuck is a tampon? Oh, man. This is going to be embarrassing. What the hell? Bikini…waxing paraffin? Oh, Kami…Ya know, when I took Kagome in to live with me for protection purposes, it never occurred to me that I would learn intimate things about her.

Well, okay…I admit. I kinda set myself up for that one. _Sigh_ Man, this is going to be one hell of a trip. I slipped the list into my pocket and set the hat over my ears, since I simply didn't feel it necessary to use a concealment spell just to go shopping. At that thought, I leapt into the nearest tree and jumped amongst the branches all the way to the residential area, just west of the forest and the shrine.

After about ten minutes, at full speed, I reached the first roof. I walked a bit and then leapt to the next one. Finally, I reached the one lining the street. I then walked to the alley side and leapt off to land effortlessly on the ground. Once I came to the shadow line, I took a deep breath, released and relaxed as I stepped out onto the sidewalk casually like I had just taken a breather. The streets were packed, and people were distracted. I blended in nicely, especially with my hair pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of my neck. People probably figured with my attire, that I was some rebel kid who couldn't be trusted. Either that, or an old man who's had tons of plastic surgeries to look young. I don't really care in the least. They can think what they want.

Soon after I reached the street, I arrived at the supermarket. The first thing I did was pull out the list and grab a cart. The list was long enough to eat for a while. Kagome had veggies on it, tons of rice…Oh…Constipation right there. As I went from aisle to aisle, I checked each item off the list. Then it came to finding her toiletries. When I reached _that_ aisle, my eyes bugged out! I mean, the whole subject covered two sides of the aisle in their entirety! And the pictures on how to use them and where they go…

"Hello. You buying those for your young daughter? Your disabled wife?" a feminine voice startled me as I jerked around and dropped the box of tampons at her feet. "You need help?" the young woman asked as her shadow-defined eyes blinked and searched my features.

"Uh…y-yeah. What are these for anyways?" I asked as I picked up the box I dropped.

She giggled at me and then said, "To absorb the blood during a woman's period without having to wear a pad."

I looked at the rod thingy on the front of the box and pointed at it as I asked, "This thing? How is that possible?"

She giggled again as she shifted the box in my hands 'til I was looking at the back. "See? She would insert it through here, and it will block the blood from flowing out while absorbing it."

When it hit me, I dropped the box again and started to walk away, stunned. I can't believe I had just been taught how to use a tampon by a strange woman!

"Are you all right? Sir?" the young woman asked as she grabbed my shoulder to get my attention. She stepped around me to eye me directly and I couldn't seem to hide the effect the information had on me.

"Sorry, I just never knew how a woman handled that. It was always a secret, and now I wish it had remained one." I panted, causing her to giggle again as she then eyed my list for the item and grabbed the one listed.

"I'll help you shop for her unmentionables. Is she your wife? Daughter? Mother?"

"None. She's just living with me temporarily." I replied in a defeated tone.

"Oh. Why didn't she come with you? Would have made it much easier on you, I'm sure." The woman pointed out.

"Naw. I was already going to be running here after my other errands today that didn't include her. I'm actually on my way home after the shopping is done. No need for her to go running around while I'm already out." I shrugged.

"Well, how gentlemanly of you." She replied as I followed while she pushed the cart. In the silence of the situation, I got the chance to look at her closer. She appeared to be young, and her hair was pulled high up in a long ponytail. When she looked my way, I paid closer attention to her looks. She appeared to be only a little older than Kagome. The woman lined her eyes with dark pink eye shadow, and had a soft but sad face. It seemed that helping me helped change her focus, since she looked as if she had been crying.

"Um…Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she replied simply over her shoulder.

"Well, it's kinda personal, but what were you crying about?" She stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry if I…"

"My husband," her simple answer interrupted my apology.

"Ya feel like talking about it?"

"How did you know I was crying?" she asked suddenly, turning glistening eyes on me.

"I just…I can tell. I have that knack for reading eyes. That's all." Truth is, I smelled tears on her, but I wasn't about to say _that_ to her.

"Well, you're an honest gentleman. I feel I can trust you." She said as she led us from the feminine product aisle. "My husband, Miroku is his name. I heard rumors he had been sleeping with some other women lately. Whenever I ask him, he denies it. Every time, he has denied it. He has always been a bit of a flirt, but I never took it seriously. 'Least, not 'til now," she sniffled.

"Have you caught him yet?"

"No, but my friend said she has. She said he was leaving the nearest geisha house when she bumped into him. When she asked what he was doing there, he asked her not to tell me he was there. She got suspicious and he then begged her, telling her that it wouldn't be right for me to hear, that there'd be trouble."

"Hmmm. Sounds suspicious," I nodded my agreement.

"Well, he still comes home everyday, and he's never avoided me or acted strangely. I wonder if my friend was lying…" she mentioned as she shrugged and asked me if I still needed her help. I shook my head and thanked her. She bowed before me and said, "Sango. Takuri, Sango is my name. Well, hope to see you again, Mr. ..."

"Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha. It definitely was a pleasure. Thanks for listening," she said over her shoulder on her way to another aisle.

I then looked at the list and saw I had everything listed. So, I walked the cart to the register to pay for the groceries. While in the line, I thought about everything that woman, Sango, had told me. To think, a good woman like her, married to someone that shady. I shook my head at the thought and started loading the items onto the conveyor belt. Once the cashier started ringing up my items, I grabbed the money from my pocket and counted to give the cashier exact change.

Once all the stuff was paid for, I left the store with double-layered bags of groceries. I got the most interesting looks when I took every bag and re-bagged them. I didn't really care how they looked at me. They coulda picked their noses for all I care.

Anyways, as I walked down the street, I noticed Kagome's apartment building was right across the street a little south of the supermarket. I decided to stroll over and make my way through the doors into the building. Remembering that I had no key, I stuck the groceries into an alcove, covered by a sheet and then looked around. I saw a door going into an alley behind the building. I remembered what side her apartment faced and it was the alley. So, I went through the door and then looked up. I saw the fire escapes built into the brick and saw that it was do-able. So, I climbed up.

When I reached her apartment, I slid the window open and then climbed in. I looked around her empty apartment. Sure, you can call it snooping, I don't care. I looked at her desk and saw an appointment book sitting there. I opened it and what I saw shocked me. Sure, her latest flight schedule for the month was clipped on the inside of the cover, but this whole month was filled with scheduled appointments.

A couple were normal doctor's appointments, but the others…I decided to grab the book and take it with me. I then looked around some more, and I smelled something foul the further I got into the apartment. Shit…that's _his_ scent. I followed it into the hallway, and through the door at the end of the hall. When I opened the door, I saw that it was Kagome's bedroom. The weird part was the room held such a strong saturation of the wolf's scent, that it wasn't even funny. I covered my nose and coughed from the fumes. The bed was a shambles, her things were thrown about…And there was some strange substance on her floor.

I right away closed the door and got to the window I climbed in through. I locked it tightly shut and left through the door. I quickly got into the elevator and then grabbed my bags in the lobby while looking about. Thankfully, I was alone the entire time. On my way back, I stayed in one of the trees for a few, adjusting the bags. One bag was caught by a branch and ripped slightly. When I returned, I walked in and went straight to the kitchen. Kagome wasn't there, but I set the groceries on the counter and began sorting them. That was when I sensed something strange.

(Kagome's POV)

'_I certainly hope he didn't have too much trouble finding everything on that list,'_ I thought to myself as I sat in the dojo since before his arrival. I left the kitchen and roamed a bit while he was gone to help pass the time, and I ended up in the dojo, staring at the swords on the wall.

It was rather strange. I do remember everything he said about the three swords. It's just that when I finally stepped closer, I could feel the balance of energy the swords exhumed. The one at the top, I felt absolute malevolence. The middle sword was more neutral than anything. Then there was the Tetsussaiga, which I felt an aura similar to Inuyasha's. Both pure and evil. The Tetsussaiga is the one balancing out the other two. I reached out to touch Tetsussaiga and lifted the heavy katana from the brackets. Once I had it in my hands, I was suddenly compelled to hold it close to my chest and then closed my eyes.

The energy I sensed was conflicted, but warm. There was a sense of righteousness about the energy. Suddenly, I felt the energy envelope me. It helped me to my knees and I was led to hold the sword closer still. The words, _'I will protect you'_ popped into my head and a smile graced my lips. The world around me melted and all I saw in my mind was the color pink.

(Inuyasha's POV)

Damnit! Where is she? I woulda figured she'd have sensed my presence by now. Suddenly, I felt something strange. Oddly, as I concentrated, I noticed it felt like Tetsussaiga's barrier. I left the kitchen and ran to the dojo. What I saw shocked me. I saw Kagome on her knees while holding the sword. No, scratch that. She was cradling the sword as a barrier surrounded her. Protecting her. The sword chose to protect her on its own. I stepped closer, but then I stopped. It seemed the closer I came, the barrier seemed to get more intense. It crackled as it purified my aura.

"Kagome." I said aloud, but she did not respond.

The sword seemed to protect her so well, she was unaware of her surroundings. I stepped closer, causing the air around her to crackle and spark. The barrier got stronger still the closer I came. What I couldn't understand was that Tetsussaiga was rejecting my aura as well, which is unusual. This was a major problem. At this rate, Tetsussaiga would kill her while protecting her like that. I had no choice, but to step closer 'til I was kneeling before her seeming slumbering form.

I reached out my hands and touched the barrier. It shocked me and I screamed in pain as it threw me back ten feet. I sat up and saw the barrier had lessened since I was further away. "KAGOMEEEE!" I shouted, but still got no response.

Obviously, the sword cut her off from all her surroundings. I then took a deep breath, letting my energy focus. A moment later, I launched myself towards the barrier and held firm, my feet sliding ever so slightly as I was pushed back from the barrier as it continued to intensify. Soon, the shocks became less painful the harder I pushed. I held firm and suddenly cracks began to form in the barrier around her. Seeing that, made me even stronger as I the pressed on.

Suddenly a pain shot through me. A pain unlike any I have ever felt. I screamed as it pulsed through my body. Then, as the pain continued, I felt warmer. Before I knew it, my hand had reached the hilt of the sword. As I opened my eyes, the barrier dissipated. After a few moments of hearing nothing but my panting, her eyes opened.

Her shocked eyes connected with mine as I asked, "What?"

"You're…human again." She said as she reached forward and ran her right hand through my hair, bringing it into eyesight. I gasped as I saw the hand around the hilt of the sword.

Sure enough, no claws, and the knuckles were smooth instead of rough. I turned my eyes to look upon her as she inched closer, looking deep within my brown eyes. I sat as still as I could, seeing just as deeply into hers. I could feel her breath caress my face as my sense of smell began to return. She held my hair and watched as silver began to creep through, strand by strand.

I grimaced as my features changed. My aura rose again as I right away snatched the sword from her hands. Once the transformation was complete, I rose to my feet and placed the Tetsussaiga back in its place. "What happened here?" I asked as I looked at the floor of to the side.

"I don't know. I just suddenly…felt drawn to your sword," she said as I turned to look upon her.

"You felt drawn to it? Why?"

"I…don't know," she replied as she lowered her eyes shamefully.

"Kagome, here," I said as I stepped closer and handed her the appointment book.

"Oh…Thanks. Wait, you went to my apartment?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah. I was close by, so I checked up on it."

"So, you broke into it."

"Yeah, well…I don't remember you handing me a set of keys."

"That's against the law!" she spat.

"Yeah? Well obviously I wasn't the only one breaking and entering!"

"What?"

"Apparently, that wolf is so obsessed with you, that he's been trashing your bedroom!"

"He what?!" she shouted.

"Yeah! I'm not even gonna begin to describe what he's done in there. It stinks of wolf so bad, even you'd smell it!"

Kagome sank to the floor at those words. "I'm not going back there anytime soon, am I?"

"Not while I'm alive," I said without thinking, _'Shit!'_ At those words, she nodded solemnly. "Hey, I don't know what you've been through, but there are an awful lot of appointments in that book. I'm not gonna let you miss any of them."

She looked up at me in surprise at that statement as I continued with, "Kagome, something's not right here. I'm not gonna just leave you be after what I've seen there. I honestly can't," I expressed to her as I knelt down before her and ran my clawed fingers of my right hand through her long wavy hair.

"Thank you for protecting me," she said as she looked straight into my eyes.

"When you're ready, I ask that you tell me everything important here. I'm not going to be able to protect you well enough until I know what is going on."

"Wakatta," she whispered her understanding of my request and we both froze in each other's gaze.

Suddenly, my stomach growled and broke the thick silence. I closed my eyes and leaned back as I said, "I gotta eat, and I have those toiletries for you in the kitchen." I then got up, walked to the shoji and then stopped as I looked over my shoulder to say, "Kagome, don't go near Tetsussaiga. Not unless there's a true need of protection."

She looked up and saw my piercing gaze as I continued with, "I don't believe things will ever get bad enough for you to need protection to that degree, since I will do everything in my power to alleviate that option."

As I finished, Kagome stood and made her way towards me as she replied with, "Why would you try to alleviate the sword's protection?"

"Kagome, I have never seen the sword do that before. I couldn't touch you at first. It was as if you purified the sword. It began to purify even my energy. It uses the energy of the holder. Apparently, your level of energy can be deadly if used by the Tetsussaiga. It was able to amplify your purifying energy. If I wasn't only half demon, I would have died trying to reach you," I explained.

"Wow…How did you do it?"

"Well, I can take a high threshold of pain. It took all of my determination to get you to come back."

"Come back?"

"Yes. You were completely cut off from reality. From me. I said your name a few times, and you didn't even flinch. So, I put everything I had into breaking through the barrier."

"I see. I'm sorry. I just heard this voice telling me he'll protect me and to hold it close. So, I did."

"He? He who?" now that's rather interesting. I'd never heard a voice while holding it…

"I don't know. It was a commanding voice, deep and full of valor," Kagome said as her eyes gained a questioning gaze.

"Honestly, I never knew a voice could be heard by the user. This is the first account of it that I know of," I replied as I shrugged and motioned for her to follow me.

As we walked towards the kitchen, she put her hand on my shoulder, stopping me as she asked, "Was it painful for me to purify you?"

I waited a moment as I closed my eyes to think on how to answer. "Very. But that's not an issue. I don't want you to worry about me. I'm fine now."

"Okay. Thank goodness," she replied and removed her hand. I then continued on to the kitchen with her tailing behind.

After we arrived in the kitchen, I gave her the bag of 'unmentionables' as Sango called 'em, and she searched the bag while asking me if it was troublesome.

"Well, not really. Unless you'd like to count my actually learning what a tampon is, and how one is used…" I gagged just at the thought of it.

"Oh, no!" she giggled for a moment. "Who helped you? A pharmacist?"

"No, a lady named Sango. She seemed about your age."

"Oh, that was sweet of her."

"Well, she was just a bit too chatty about feminine needs for my taste," I replied, using my fingers like quotation marks as I said the word _'feminine'_.

"So, how does a woman use a tampon?" she asked slyly.

I gave her my most fed-up look as I spat, "I aint answering. I'd rather forget, thank you very much."

"Well, what if I forget? Who'd teach me?" she said in a sultry voice as she leaned on the counter looking at me.

"Where are you going with this?" I asked pointedly.

"Oh, just wanna know how good your memory is in regards to trivial information. Plus, what if I had an accident, and I ended up forgetting how to use one?"

"Keh! If that were to ever happen, I'd call Sango and let her teach you."

"What if…" she continued, but I cut her off.

"Oh c'mon! I will say this here and now. I refuse to know how a woman could insert a tampon up her…you know."

"You don't know what that body part is named?" she started to giggle.

"No, I know what it's called. I just don't feel I need to say it."

"Why not?"

"Will you stop?!" I was getting very uncomfortable. Damnit! I know a lot about a woman's anatomy! Why is she embarrassing me?

"No. These are perfectly legitimate questions. Plus, I don't know you and you're my 'only' companion here. What's wrong with knowing you know these things?"

"Tsch. I'm a half demon. I know the human body inside and out. Not only that, but I'm not virgin. So, yes, I know about the female reproductive system, and all about the menstrual cycle. It should be implied that I know my shit, and your shit, okay?" I am definitely losing my patience with this woman.

"Oh. Why do you know so much about the human body?"

I turned serious eyes on her as I explained, "To know how to kill one," her expression turned to shock. I then looked away and continued, "I was alone in the beginning and I needed to know how to protect myself. Because I'm a half demon, I'm not exactly accepted by the human race, or by the demon race. So, if push came to shove, I needed to know how to perform a quick and painless kill."

"I never liked the idea of killing humans, being half human myself. The last thing I wanted was to see a human suffer at my hands, no matter what they did to provoke my insanity," Damnit, she made me say it. I hated talking about my past in terms of survival. I did many things in the past that I'm not proud of in the least.

Kagome's eyes turned from her preparations to me as I explained all that to her. Before I knew it, she had made her way over and held me from behind. "I'm sorry you were forced to live that way, Inuyasha. It's just; you seem like such a nice person. I couldn't begin to imagine what it must have been like for you back then," she whispered tenderly.

I lowered my head as images flashed through it, causing my mind to break. All the lives I took, I had put behind me long ago. But now, their screams sound as if I had just performed the insane acts. "Leave me be," I said tensely, causing her to release me. I then clenched my eyes shut as my chin went to my chest, my breathing quickening.

"Inuyasha?"

"I-I need to be alone. I'll eat later," I choked out as I tossed the curtain aside on my way out the door.

Not too long after I arrived in the tower, I smelled dinner. Kagome had made something that smelled very enticing, but I didn't recognize the scent. I chose to remain in the tower while she ate alone. She bothered me back there. She was opening a huge can of worms. One I thought I had welded shut and buried in the ground. How does she do this to me?

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. She's gonna be the death of me, in more ways than one.

* * *

(Kagome's POV)

He left so abruptly. All I was doing was asking questions about him in order to get to know him. He is so closed off. Why? All I could think of as to why he would keep me at such a distance is simply because he's afraid of something. But what could that be?

With the way his past sounds, it would seem that he is fearless, but obviously, there are things deep down that frighten him. "Oh, Inuyasha. What can I do for you?" I said aloud to myself as I cleaned the last utensil I dirtied during my meal. I set everything down to dry and then headed out of the kitchen while lost in my thoughts.

Little did I know, as my mind was pre-occupied with thoughts of Inuyasha's actions, I found myself stepping up the steps to the tower. As I made it into the circular room, I saw him huddled in the corner, his head cradled between his knees as his hands held his head, his fingers entwined in his silver locks.

"Inuyasha…" I said urgently as I knelt before him. All I gained from him was a loud sniffle, indicating that he had been crying. A moment later, I laid my hands on his shoulders and he lifted his head, showing me a pair of reddened eyes, with wet streaks from the tears he shed.

"What are you doing here?" he choked out in an angry tone.

"I'm concerned about you. To see you cry, it must hurt right now." He panted as his glare shot words to my eyes such as, _'you have no fuckin' clue!'_ "I believe I do, Inuyasha. C'mere", I said as I opened my arms widely, inviting him for comfort as a tear fell from my left eye.

His eyes showed a stunned reaction as he then inched closer. He seemed unsure, but his heart obviously coaxed him into the decision as he then allowed me to wrap my arms around him, holding him to my chest and shoulder as my hand tangled itself into his beautiful hair, and my heart became louder than the terrible thoughts in his head. His arms gripped my back tightly as I felt my shirt become wet from his emotions, his body beginning to shake slightly.

I closed my eyes, and I began to concentrate. I felt his aura, and his thoughts began to flood into my mind.

'_I can't believe she brought them up again! She brought back my past. Why did she pry? I wish she'd let me move on. I don't wanna hate her. Actually, I think I'm in love with her. But how can I move on, even from Kikyo if she keeps testing me? Oh Kami, I don't want her to be afraid of me. I want her to accept me as I am now. A blockhead with a frickin chip on my shoulder who can protect her from anyone and anything. I want to be able to keep her alive, untouched, and by my side, forever. Gods, I love you Kagome.'_

My eyes shot open as he continued to hold me tightly. I tried to hide that I had read his mind, but I noticed he had held me tighter still. He gripped me tighter by the moment as he suddenly whispered, "Kagome…"

I gained a bit of a blush as I replied with his name and his face turned to my neck, puffing breath onto my bare skin, causing it to tickle. _'Inuyasha…what's happening?'_ I thought as I began to feel an air of unease as he held me tightly. A moment later, his arms began to loosen, as his fingers stretched slightly, and his hands shifted to feel my back tenderly. I began to hold my breath as he pulled away and looked deeply into my eyes, the definite look of a hurt soul seeking comfort.

He brought his right hand to my cheek, his eyes holding mine in a locked gaze I could not break. I realized I was still holding that same breath as I watched his every move nervously. I an air of definite calm, he inched closer, and touched his lips to mine as his right hand held my chin in place. The kiss deepened and my heart began to race. _'Inuyasha…Please, don't do this! You're heart is not right. Please, don't hurt me, or yourself. Please, stop…'_

I brought my hands up to press against his well-built chest to gain distance, but his lips and his hand held me within his reach. As I leaned back, he leaned forward, his lips still tugging on mine. I wanted to tell him to stop, but his lips controlled mine as his tongue forced its way into my mouth, causing me to squeal. My back hit the floor, and his hands brought mine over my head as his tongue continued to taste mine.

In a fit of fear, remembering what I had gone through in my past, I touched an inner power and released it, causing him to fly from my body, his back hitting the wall a couple feet away. I sat up, panting and shaking in fear. Inuyasha was panting as well, his gaze holding a look of confusion of what had just happened.

"Why did you stop me?" he asked innocently.

"You didn't ask, and I had no idea what you were gonna do to me. I'm sorry. I was uncomfortable in how you acted with me. It didn't seem an action out of love, but out of needing 'comfort' that I am unable to give right now."

He hung his head in shame as he replied with, "I'm sorry. I guess I have developed feelings for you I'm unsure of myself. I just felt so warm in your arms, and your scent is so sweet. I lost control there. I didn't mean to."

"I see. You love me, don't you?" I asked suddenly and his head shot up, shock in his eyes.

"I-I…" he looked away shyly as he then continued with, "Is there something wrong with me loving you? Think I'm incapable of love?" he said in an insecure tone.

"I never thought that, Inuyasha. I just…I've had it rough with love is all. Unless I know what's going on, I get defensive is all. I don't wanna be hurt by anyone. I've been hurt too many times by men."

His eyes shot to mine again as he saw the sad expression on my face. "I knew it, men have hurt you. Kagome, let me get one thing straight right now. When I am affectionate with you, I have no means of taking it further without your permission. I have never taken a woman without her consent, and I wasn't planning on doing that here tonight. Yes, I was seeking your comfort, but I also wanted to express how my heart feels since I can't do that in words."

My eyes shot open at his explanation. He is an honorable man. I had hoped as much. "Now, is it okay if I express how much I appreciate the fact that you're here? The fact that you're the third woman who has shown me that she cares for one such as me?" he asked as he sat up and inched closer, a tender look in his eyes.

I couldn't reject his request. To know his heart was my main goal after all. I looked deeply into his eyes, to see a deep love within, one that he was holding back. His heart seemed to hold so many secrets, as well as love enough for the whole world, which he seemed to love no matter how he was treated. Healing was occurring. Healing which I was providing.

I nodded with a soft smile as I said to him, "I would love to know your heart, Inuyasha. I am not afraid now that I will get the chance to know you finally."

"Kagome…" he whispered as he then brought his lips to mine again, the feel of his aura combining with mine, creating energy so intense that my heart raced and pumped harder than it had ever pumped before. He held my head and neck as his tongue swept through me with precision, tasting every crevice of my imperfect mouth. His breath hitched at the feeling of our auras combining. My arms encircled his neck, entangling into his thick hair, feeling his spine beneath his skin shift as his head moved during the kiss.

My back hit the floor again, only this time, he held me to his chest tenderly, not forcefully. His legs laced with mine as we continued to embrace each other's feelings while the stars finally came out to lighten the sky above us.

* * *

Well, surprise, surprise. Didn't expect that, now did we? This chapter was a rather interesting one to write, especially when Sango showed herself unexpectedly. Seriously! I didn't plan that! Nor, did I plan that ending! Hot, eh? Well, this chapter was two months in the making, and I'm rather happy with how it turned out. Made this storyline a bit thicker, and gained more interesting ideas on how things are gonna go from this point on. Well, I certainly apologize for how long it took to post this baby, but I was sick for a whole month, and not only was I sick, but I was weak and very ill. Concentration was impossible. Luckily, I had most of it written beforehand. Well, hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as the others. Thanks once again for your patience. 'Til next time, Ja ne! 


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, another two weeks has gone by, and I'm ready to update this fic. I was relaxing earlier, and saw images of Koga, and I just had to set everything aside to get him on my laptop. So, enjoy as this unusual chapter unfolds.

**Chapter 8**

Oh, man…What a day. I had been working so many hours lately since I lost so much time in America all due to that mutt. Yeah, I had to make up hours so I wouldn't lose pay. I ended up waiting a whole two days before I could even set foot on a plane headed towards Japan. That woman, she got me good. How the mutt ended up on her side is beyond me.

I had seen him before. Him and his bad attitude. He treated her like shit so many times and I was floored to see him protect her. I don't get it. Oh well, I am so looking forward to arriving back at her apartment. Her scent calms me somehow. I can't explain why, but I feel lost when she's not around.

Okay, truth is, I'm obsessed. I don't know what started my need to be near her. All I can remember, was it was a year ago. She had just moved into my building, into the vacant apartment next to mine. I was so happy someone had finally filled those walls. When I got the chance, I greeted her at the door, and she was all sweaty and tired from unpacking. I offered for her to take a load off, and helped her unpack the food into her cabinets and her dishes into the new dishwasher. She took a glass of water, sat upon the tatami and chilled as she watched me work.

That was when she told me what she did for a living. I began to wonder what it would be like to travel to America. It sounded nice according to what she described. I decided to make my first trip on one of the flights soon after she moved in. She didn't know this, but I lied to her that time she saw me flying economy. I told her I had family in America, and I was finally able to go see them with the funds I had recently acquired. I really only wanted to be near her. I followed her, and she never suspected a thing. So, I continued.

Things were going good for a while, and then the mutt began flying on the same flights coincidentally. As I flew more often with Kagome, I began to notice a pattern in his flight schedule. There's no way he'd fly for business trips. Not with how he was dressed, and how little he had with him. Hell, I never saw him at the baggage claim any of those times. He just carried a backpack, and every now and then, he wore a hat. What was suspicious about him was his level of disguise. He was placing a charm on himself to hide his ears. Those appendages seemed odd enough, but a man with no ears at the side of his head? Come on!

Sure, like there're men out there with his attributes, who aren't albinos. He was just so suspicious. Then he got under Kagome's skin, and she became intrigued with him. She suddenly started to avoid me and made sure she spent as little time as possible in economy. Unfortunately, that was all I could afford. What bothered me, was that nut-job of a puppy boy was able to afford first class every single flight! How is that possible?

Man, just thinking about him gets my anger to rise and boil to the surface. I needed so badly to get back to Kagome's apartment. Back to her bedroom where her scent is the strongest. I was beginning to pant nervously at the water threatening to boil over the edges of my pot of anger.

Once I arrived at her window leading to her living room, I reached for the wood at the edge and pulled towards my body. Only, it wouldn't budge! I began to panic. I was unable to get in! I then climbed over to the window to her bedroom a few feet away, and tried. Once again, locked. I then leapt to my window and slid it open to climb inside. I ran to the front door, stuck a shoe in it just incase, and then ran to her door. Once again, locked shut. There was no way into her apartment, save for breaking in, or picking the lock.

Shit! I really panicked and lost my resolve. I knelt down before the door and sniffed. Damnit! The mutt's scent is a couple hours old, but definitely, this was his doing. He locked me out of my haven! That did it, the pot boiled over a hundred times deeper than normal. He crossed a line he shouldn't have trespassed upon.

I threw my belongings into my apartment and headed down the elevator. I followed his scent out the building, and down the street. His scent wasn't everywhere, so he had been very precise in his path. I followed it back to the market, and then further down the street 'til I came to an alleyway. That was where the scent path ended. I looked up and saw that it was quite a leap if he had jumped onto the roof of the house. I gave it a shot, and made it, barely.

Sure enough, I made the right choice. The path continued on the rooftop. So, I followed it further, running along the rooftops until I came to the forest line. I sniffed the air a bit. Couldn't catch much, but I could faintly smell him in the direction leading to the old rundown shrine at the top of the hill. I had nowhere else to go, and following the scent trail distracted my anger so, I continued on to see where the scent trail lead, hopefully to Kagome…

* * *

(Kagome's POV)

I was so comfortable. Inuyasha has been holding close for a while now. Once we stopped kissing, we relaxed in each other's arms, and just reveled in the view of a clear night. He opened the windows to let a breeze in, making the temperature in that room cool off a bit.

I have to admit, this wasn't expected at all. When he first kissed me, I was shocked and bewildered. However, when he explained how he felt about me, it calmed my fears and I wanted to comfort him as I did when he turned human on the plane.

He's not such a bad person. A bit rough around the edges, strange to a point, but very nice as well. One thing I have learned as I've stayed these few nights is that he does have a soft side. A side he doesn't like to show. He's not a typical guy, but he can be a bit predictable in some ways. He was a mystery at first, but now that he's opening up, he's becoming transparent. He had lived here all by himself for centuries. Now that he has me here with him, he's freeing himself from those walls he hid behind from the world.

Somehow, it seems, I have become his world. It seems as if nothing else matters to this man holding me close. His hands are rough, large and frightening to a point. Just looking at them, I can tell he's been through a lot. I reached my hand out and touched his fingers. The tendons were almost visible under the taught skin. The knuckles very pronounced and visible, the nails like talons; very thick, long and sharp. I peeled his index finger from my sleeve and felt the nail as I examined it closely with my eyes. Its ivory color reminded me of bone.

"What are you doing?" he asked as his eyes watched me examine his nails.

"Your nails. They're the color of bone. They're very hard too."

"Of course, that's because they're talons. Ya know, like a dog's claws," he explained as my gaze shot to his, seeing the curiosity in his eyes.

"These are claws? Do they ever break?" I asked, gaining a chuckle from him.

"No. Never. I can't cut them or file them down. They are too tough."

"Wow…Don't you cut yourself every now and then?" I asked gaining a nod from him as his smile faded.

"I've cut myself many times. But it's no big deal, the wounds heal completely within 24 hours," he shrugged as his free hand began to run through my long black tresses. His eyes then gained admiration again as a sigh escaped his nose. "Are you enjoying being here with me, Kagome?"

"Yes, very much so. You have made me feel so at home here, I don't know if I could leave here when the time comes."

"Well, it's not like I'm gonna kick you out at some point," he said as his arms released me a bit.

"Really? You mean I can stay if I wanted to?"

"Look. I took you in to protect you, and I plan to do just that. Call this whatever you want, but that Koga jerk aint gonna just suddenly stop stalking you like that. Of course you can stay. At least for as long as you need my protection. You're free to leave when the need calls for it. You're not my prisoner, you're my watch."

"But, is that all?"

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Ya know, what you said earlier, didn't you mean that?"

"Oh, that? Of course, but there's more to it than that."

"What?"

He sat silently, thought for a few moments and then replied with, "I really can't explain it. Seriously, it's weird how I feel about you. I've been trying to make sense out of what's happened here, but I can't."

"Make sense of it? In what way? I mean, the reasons are plain and clear to me."

"They are?" he asked curiously, causing me to guffaw.

"Yes!"

"Then what are they?" he asked as he gave me his full attention.

"You realized you liked me and couldn't keep yourself from falling for the shrew."

"Um…no, that's not it."

"What? What is going through your mind?" I asked out of frustration.

"Nothing!"

"Obviously!" I spat as I stood and walked to the other side of the room to sit down and glare at him. "We had a nice mood going and everything, and your mind had to screw everything up."

"What?! MY mind, what about yours, reading into everything too far to the point where you confuse the shit outta me," he spat as he crossed his arms and returned my glare.

"Oh, shut up! We had a nice time for about two hours, and then you make everything some kind of mystery and call me wrong when I know exactly how you feel about me!"

"You know nothing about me, woman. Don't presume to understand what I've been going through as far as dealing with your presence in these walls," he growled, his voice leaking venom so potent I felt chills run up my spine.

"Inuyasha, I don't mean to make you mad at me, but I would like to know what's going on here! If I'm so wrong about our relationship, then tell me. Explain this complicity here that is completely eluding me."

"It's all you. There's something about you. I can't put my finger on it. But there is one thing I know for sure. You're not really my type of woman, and yet I need you desperately."

"Desperately? How so?" I was beginning to feel uncomfortable now at hearing that word…

"My instincts feel a pull to you that I can't explain. I have never felt so drawn to a woman before. Sure, there was Kikyo, but what I felt with her is nothing like I feel with you, and all you did was annoy the shit outta me when I first met you!" he explained, spilling the secrets of his confused heart.

I watched him for a few moments, sitting there across the room from me as he looked out the window, shaking his head. "You are the most infuriating woman ever in my opinion…" he began and then paused to find the words only to continue a moment later. "But yet, you're somehow attractive to me. How is that possible? To be so attracted to a person who annoys and drives me insane?" he asked as he then threw me a look of utter confusion.

"I don't know, Inuyasha. I am searching for the answer as well."

"I mean, even the energy you emit…It's somehow familiar, but yet not. I wonder if Koga has gone through this confusion and frustration as well," he let out in wonder as his gaze dropped to the tatami beneath us.

"What are you saying?"

He looked up at me a moment later and his eyes bore through mine as if he was looking deep within my soul. The next moment, he began to crawl over, like a predator examining his prey before the pounce. I sat there, my hands clenching nervously as I watched him stalk me across the room. When he came to stop a foot away from me, his eyes continued their search of my soul. He blinked every few seconds, his eyes regaining their focus each time. I looked deeply into his eyes in return and saw wonderment, questions, and fear.

"Inuyasha? Something wrong?" I asked as his nose came a bit too close to mine, his breaths puffing across my cheeks, and caressing my lips as I bit them nervously.

"Nothing. And everything," he replied softly as his eyes held mine for ransom.

"Explain," I requested innocently as my breathing began to catch in my throat, my body involuntarily backing into the wall a bit further away from him.

"I see something familiar. You look…like her. It's hard to see, but I think I can see the resemblance."

"Like who?"

"Kikyo. For some reason, I see her within you. How is that possible?" he asked suddenly as he finally backed off slightly, only to sniff me.

"I don't know. I've never seen her."

"It's not something you can see easily. I knew her well enough to find her within you. Your energy, were you born with the gift? Or did you have to hone it?"

"I just did the things I can do. No one trains in the ways of a priestess anymore."

"I thought so. It's true then. She was reincarnated in you," he stated as he sat back on his haunches, eyeing me in a new way.

"You really think so? Could that be what's drawing you to me?" I asked curiously.

"No. I know for certainly that Kikyo had no contact with Koga before she died, and yet he's just as drawn to you as I am. There's something else involved here."

"What could it be? What state was she in when she died?" I asked, hoping to get an answer that could lead us somewhere.

"Well, I know she died shortly after she sealed me to the tree, but according to the story told to me after I was released, she was burned on a pyre along with the Jewel. The Shikon Jewel."

"The Shikon Jewel? It actually existed?" I asked in shock.

"Yes, it did. But it left this world just as quickly and easily as it came in. You see, the Jewel was a ball of spiritual energy, both positive and negative. Yin and Yang so to speak. Well, an ancient Priestess named Midoriko fought an army of demons for 7 days straight, causing them to wear her down to the point where she almost ended up eaten alive. At that point, a giant demon began to consume her. With her arms already gone, knowing she wouldn't last much longer, she called upon the last vestiges of her spirit and imprisoned the malevolent energy all around her into her own energy.

"What she didn't expect, was that her own soul would become consumed and forced out of her body. Completely expelled from her body in the form of a round ball, fraught with a storm of pure and malevolent energy within its small circumference. This jewel containing all that turbulent energy became a treasure sought by thieves, demons and the greedy. According to the way the energy works, it could be used for good or bad."

"Did you ever hold it?" I asked intrigued by his story.

"Yes. It was almost too difficult to hold onto. The energy it emitted reflected the energy of the possessor. If the person holding it harbored a pure soul, then it would glow a very pure pinkish hue. If the holder bore a malevolent and greedy soul, or was malevolent in nature, the energy would turn the jewel dark, almost black."

"Wow…" I whispered in wonderment.

"In my hands, it darkened simply because of the demonic energy pulsing through my veins. Not only that, but I was unable to ever use the jewel without losing control of the demonic energy within me. My form changed and I became an uncontrollable beast."

"Oh, my. What gets me though, is if I'm her reincarnation, then what happened to the jewel?" I asked getting a shrug from him as he retreated within himself, showing signs of insecurity suddenly. "Did telling me all this bring about bad feelings?"

"Yes. It's not easy for me to talk about the past. Those were uncertain and frightening times. I'd much rather forget them, but I can't let go of my past. Makes me who I am."

"Yes, a man of true strength and righteousness."

"Keh! Whatever…" he said lazily as his senses peaked a moment later, causing him to go into alert mode.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"Shhh…" he sounded as he crawled closer to the windows, sniffing as his ears shifted to gather sounds.

'_Is someone here? Is something wrong?'_ I thought as I then inched closer to the window to see what he was sensing. All I saw were trees blowing in the wind. At that moment, as I looked over to see him lost intently in his senses, I began to appreciate him not only as a man, but also as a beast with high senses so no one can get past without him knowing.

(Inuyasha's POV)

'_This can't be! I smell that foul stench the breeze carries…It's definitely the wolf's scent. He's nearby.'_ I thought as I listened intently for any sounds indicating how close he has come. All I could hope was that the mansion will remain unfound, unnoticed. Right away, once I had gotten a more potent scent of him, I shut the windows I had opened earlier, and proceeded to bring Kagome away from the windows, turning off the lights.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" she shouted.

"Protecting you, what more do you want?" I spat with a hint of sarcasm.

"Why? From what?"

"Koga," I replied. Now that shut her up.

"He found us? How is that possible?" she asked, her eyes showing intense fear.

"Well, I'm betting he's come to bitch at me for sealing up your apartment from him. I don't know what his problem is, but I have a feeling I'm about to find out," I explained as I pulled her down the stairs from the tower.

"Ya know, all you have to do is ask me to follow you. You don't have to hurt me while dragging me down these stairs!" she exclaimed, causing me to drop her arm and give her a stern look.

"Fine, but you will do as I say. You will remain in your bedroom, and you will not come out, no matter what you hear. If you do, then you will compromise everything. You got that?" I commanded, hoping she wasn't stupid.

"Yeah, I got it. Just make sure he doesn't come anywhere near me." She replied, as her arms wrapped around her abdomen, showing weakness. "Inuyasha, promise me one thing…"

"What's that?" I asked softly as I turned towards her to give her my full attention.

"Promise me that you will survive. I don't think I could live through what he may do to me…" she said with a slight shudder.

My eyes calmed slightly, and a righteous tone covered my face as I lifted her chin to gain her attention as I said, "You can trust that I will succeed and come back to protect you, hold you, whatever you need me to do to help you feel safe." I then leaned forward to take her in my arms to comfort her.

"Inuyasha, thank you for everything you've done, and for everything you will do to keep me safe from men like him."

"Kagome, please promise me that soon, you will tell me what he has done to you. Also, please tell me what brought you to this area, and into my life as a purpose," I said as I closed my eyes while reveling in her aura.

"I will, after you come back and I know everything's okay. Also, I wanted you to know. Since I am a flight attendant, I have taken extensive classes in first aid. So, if you're injured, I can heal you and help you to be comfortable."

"Thank you, Kagome." I replied, then helped her to her room and closed the shoji. I then breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the tower where I could overlook the tree line quietly, awaiting that mangy wolf's arrival.

* * *

Well, this seemed a good place to end this chapter. I know, it's a bit short, but I guess that's what's happening now that I'm updating more often with little time each session to type. I'm just glad I'm back on schedule, not as distracted as I was, and that I can once again update weekly. Sorry for the cliffy, but this will allow the next chapter to be a bit more action packed, and focused, don't ya think? Well, 'til next time, ja ne! 


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, I have had a bit of a rest from writing for a bit, but now it's time to continue with the situation between Kagome, Inuyasha and Koga. So, sit back and enjoy as I present to you what's just as much a surprise to me as it is to you ;-D

**Chapter 9**

(Inuyasha's POV)

I sat and listened a bit more to the breeze and the sounds from the trees. He was getting closer by the minute. Night had already fallen, and time was running short. I then slid open the nearest window and leapt into the nearest trees, heading towards the wolf. There was no way I was going to let him see the mansion. I planned to hide it from him, to keep Kagome's location a secret from everyone. I leapt effortlessly from branch to branch, stopping only to sniff for his location, and listen for snaps of branches.

Catching his movements, I shot off in his direction. A couple leaps later, we found each other as I swiped with my claws and he threw a missing punch. We landed on branches across from each other and panted.

"You…You locked the windows and the door to her apartment!" he shouted at me, supposedly making a point.

"Yes, I did. That is not your apartment, and you have no right to trespass on her property!" I spat.

"Shut up! You barely even know my neighbor! You have her, don't you? Did you kidnap her? Are you holding her for ransom?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"No, I know her better than you do. And she is not my captor she's my ward. She asked me to protect her from you, as a matter of fact." I replied with a smirk as a fang rested beyond my lip.

"Sure, I doubt that. You've been nothing but a jerk to her, how can she willingly ask you to watch over her?"

"Simple. I'm not stalking her. I did push her away for a while, but when I saw her reaction to your advances, I had to step in. Women are not to be treated like meat we could eat when we feel like it."

"You think that's what I see in her?"

"Yes. Why else would a woman react to a guy standing in her way? Something's not right here. I'm not gonna just stand by and watch while you victimize her," I stated as I mimicked his stance.

"You know nothing about us. Don't presume I am after her because she's fertile." Koga stated as his arms dropped to his sides.

"Then why are you obsessed with her?" I asked.

"Haven't you sensed it yet?"

"Sensed what?" I asked curiously.

"The energy surrounding her, her scent, her abilities. She's no ordinary human. Something about her attracts me and I'm sure you're just as obsessed over it as I am. I smell her all over you, mutt. Have you mated with her yet or something?" the wolf asked as he sniffed me.

"I have not mated with anyone. I do sense something about her, but I feel the need to protect her, not take her. From the condition of her clothes in her bedroom, I would have to say your body wants her more than your soul."

"You're wrong, it's her energy still radiating from those clothes and anything she's touched that attracts me to that room. Also, her scent calms me somewhat."

"Yeah, right. Like I'm going to believe that. Listen, in any case, she feels safe with me. I suggest you walk away from here and forget about her. If ya want, you can keep one pair of panties, but that's it!" I shouted as I leapt at him, my talons the weapon of choice once again.

Koga leapt from the branch before I was able to swipe at him, and then kicked me hard in the face, knocking me down to the ground, my body hitting like a ton of bricks. "Ya know I believe you are just as bad as I am, keeping her in solitude, protecting her from the world, and not just from me. Keeping her from any being that could sense her abilities, her purity, and her energy which is so rich and enticing."

"What do you plan to do to her, you freak?" I groaned as I knelt from the ground with a glare.

"I plan to ask her to be my woman," the wolf said proudly with a smile.

"Tsch…Like she ever would, you disturbed wolf pup!" I spat as I drew my sword and poised to attack.

"Ooo…a demonic sword. Geeze, can't you fight me like a man with your fists and feet?" Koga asked as he leapt up and prepared to attack from above. I awakened the wind and unleashed the Wind Scar towards him.

"You aint gonna get close enough to fight me man to man, asshole!" I shouted as he kicked off a nearby branch and redirected himself just in time.

"Damn! What the hell was that you just shot at me?" Koga asked as he landed a few feet away.

"My Wind Scar," I stated as I stood glaring at him.

"Well, we'll just have to settle this later. Don't think I'm gonna let you off so easily, mutt! I'll get Kagome back, just you watch!" he shouted over his shoulder as he leapt the other direction back towards the city.

I sheathed the Tetsussaiga and headed back to the mansion to tell Kagome of the news. No doubt, he was planning to bring friends this next time. And, on top of that, I will need to stay on my guard at all times from this point on. There's no telling when he will return.

* * *

(Kagome's POV)

I looked at my watch, and saw he had left an hour ago. I hadn't heard any sounds since he left, but I also have no clue as to whether or not anything has occurred. As far as I can tell, he never left the mansion. I grabbed my bedding and began to lay it out for bedtime to focus on something else for a few minutes.

Ever since he closed the shoji, nerves have been ruling my stomach. Butterflies have been unsettling me, and I have been biting my nails to the skin. This whole time, I had remained completely silent, not moving much, and watching the door as the burning candle light flickered on the shoji.

Once the bedding was set out completely, I laid myself between the futon and the coverlet. My head rested upon the pillow as I turned onto my side, cradling my knees to my chest. After a few minutes, still no footsteps. Tears began to fall from my eyes, and I began to sniffle. Sure, Inuyasha is a strong half demon, but still, he stated that Koga is a full demon, and that could mean that he possesses more strength than Inuyasha. 'Course, Inuyasha would never say that.

As I closed my eyes, images of the fight flashed through my mind. Images of punches being thrown, kicking, falling, scratching, blood splattering…violence. I began to cry softly as my body cuddled the blanket tighter to my chest.

Suddenly, I stopped. I heard them. Footsteps headed toward my room. I covered myself with the blanket and froze, not taking a breath. The shoji slid open and I heard slight panting. I remained still as the person walked in, towards where I was laying. I braced myself for the horror, when the person sat down beside me, not touching me.

"Kagome, it's me, Inuyasha," I heard. I sat up, throwing the blanket away and threw my arms around him and let myself go. "Whoa, it's okay. I'm fine!"

"I'm glad. I was so worried, you were gone for so long," I replied as sobs shook my voice.

"Well, we fought, but barely. As soon as I pulled Tetsussaiga from the sheath and released my Wind Scar, he got scared and ran home," he stated nonchalantly.

I pulled away to look him in the eyes, "Then why were you gone for so long?" I asked.

"We talked more than anything else. Turns out, he's attracted not to you but to something, he can't explain. He thinks I feel the same way, and that I plan to keep you to myself as he does, only worse."

"Only worse? Why is he comparing your ideals to his?"

"I don't know. He thinks I want to keep you close so that I can mate with you."

"Well, do you plan to?" I asked causing silence to fill the room.

"No." I looked down, thinking that I could now relax a bit more. "Not now anyway. I'm not planning anything. I'm only reacting on instinct to the situation. That wolf's a freak, and I fear for his motives."

"How do you feel about this with me? What do you want with me?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It's hard to explain. I know that I have not planned any of this, and it's all been a bit surprising. As far as what I want from you, there's nothing." I looked up in shock as he continued, "I have not needed anything from you specifically. Sure, it's been nice having someone here with me, but as far as services... Nothing."

"What do you mean by _services_?" I asked with a strange look on my face.

"You know what I mean. I will not be asking you for sex! He thinks I plan to make you my mate!"

"Oh. So you're not attracted to me?" I asked strangely.

"I didn't say that."

"Sure, you didn't. You just made me feel a bit ugly is all, not that it matters to you anyways," I replied as I turned off to the side.

"You're not ugly, and I never said you were."

"Well, you're not attracted to me, though."

"And you're hurt by that?" he asked suddenly, baiting me for more.

"Yes! Why wouldn't I be?"

"What's your problem?!"

"It's because I'm attracted to you, dummy!" I shouted as I turned to lean on my right hand to glare at him. The look on his face was priceless. He was obviously stunned by that answer, and wasn't expecting it. "Why else would I want YOU to protect me from him? Because his love is one-sided! I do not want to have anything to do with him!"

"S-so y-you want me?" he stuttered in shock.

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that? Is my love one-sided?" I asked, putting him on the spot.

He looked away as he answered with, "I don't know how to answer that." I looked away embarrassed. I had just professed my feelings towards him, and he obviously didn't feel the same.

"Just tell me you don't love me, I can take it," I suggested, showing some backbone.

"No, it's not that, honestly. Plus, we were talking about Koga anyways. When did this become about us?"

"When you said he thinks your goal is the same as his, and saying that got me curious," I replied softly.

"Well, it's not the same as his, since he plans to make you his mate."

"Wouldn't you like one too?" I asked since I had been wondering about him living alone in this mansion for hundreds of years.

"Well, I hadn't thought about love since Kikyo died. She was the one I wanted to mate with, and then Naraku destroyed that for us completely. Plus, even if I did find a woman to mate with, I'd outlive her, anyways. With Kikyo, I promised to wish on the jewel to become human so that we could live together in peace, and die together as well. Ever since then, I have decided to accept that it's not going to be an option since I can't allow myself to fall in love with a mortal, for fear of losing love again."

"Oh. I had no idea you felt that way. So, what would you rather do when this is all over?" I asked in concern.

"I don't know at this point. I don't mind you being around, and I feel I have a purpose while you're here, but if you leave, I will end up going back to the way things were. Planning for those trips around the world every month to avoid the new moon."

"I see. Do you think your heart could possibly change at all?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know. All I do know is you're presence comforts me a bit. To the point where I feel I can tell you anything."

"I bet it's nice to have someone to talk to, ne?" I replied, and we both chuckled at the thought.

"You could say that. All I want right now is to keep you safe from anyone who poses a threat to you. You see, with the times being as peaceful as they are, I have no purpose if I'm not protecting others," he explained as he smiled slightly in relaxation.

"Good. I'm glad to be your watch, since it gives you a chance to be a man," I giggled.

"Hey!" he spat as he then pounced me and began tickling me. We both laughed and wrestled on the futon for a few minutes, and then ended up cuddling under the blanket.

His warmth was inviting, and I felt so safe and loved, even if he claimed, he doesn't feel the same way. I will wittle him down yet. "That reminds me, are you ready to tell me where you came from?" Damnit, he would have to ask that and spoil the comfortable moment.

I sighed as I replied with, "Can't you ask me when you're not cuddling and comforting me?"

His arms retreated from my body as he then propped himself up and eyed be seriously. _'Damnit!'_ "How about now? I'm ready to listen."

I sat up and pulled the blanket over my legs as I began with, "My family owned and ran a shrine not to far from here. I am originally from Tokyo, but once my grandfather died; my mother sold the shrine, and took my brother and I to live in a small town near Osaka. My brother and I grew up there and once I graduated from middle school that was when things got difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. I guess I became attractive."

"Well, yeah. You grew up, and that's part of developing."

"No, that's not what I mean." The look on his face became one of confusion. "I mean, _men_ became attracted to me. I was still a teenager at that time."

"Oh. Sick bastards."

I giggled at his reaction and then continued, "Yeah, really. Well, it began to get hard to be out alone, and my brother could only stand up for me every now and then, since he was a few grades behind me. So, once I became of age I was asked to just move to another town on my own."

"Alone…"

"Yes, alone."

"Why would you want to leave your family alone? That's just asking for it!"

"I know, but that was when I became a flight attendant. I was able to travel, and not be in the same place for too long. Also, I was in a profession where I can't be touched by law. So, I really am protected. Least, I was until I met you," I said shyly.

"'Til you met me? What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"You see, Koga got defensive because he had seen interaction between us, and that was when he confronted me as if he owned me. All I knew of him, was he was my next-door neighbor who had helped me often, and I had seen almost everywhere. Sure, he made offers often, and that annoyed me. However, when he confronted me, I saw such jealousy in his eyes, and it dripped like venom from the words he said to me."

"So then, he hasn't done anything to you as of yet?" he asked as he sat up.

"No, not yet. But he's not the first man who has been jealous over me. He may not have touched me yet, but they have…"

"What?!" he exclaimed as he reached for my shoulder. "Explain that to me, please."

"I left that town and came back here, hoping to be safe. Inuyasha, I was assaulted one afternoon by a group of older men. I became known as a girl to go for in the ways of an adult manner by a group of men who owned a bar in our neighborhood. You see, when my Grandfather died, and we sold the shrine, it wasn't enough to buy a home, only to rent above a general store in a not so desirable part of the town. My mother apologized over and over since it was all she could afford, and my brother learned martial arts to protect me, but it was impossible to protect me from more than one man."

"What's happened to your family since you left? Do you talk with them?" he asked as he laid his other hand on my other shoulder.

"My mother left and I lost contact with them. You see, I couldn't tell them where I was going out of fear if they were confronted. They wanted it that way. Mom handed me money, and told me to just go wherever the money can take me to be safe."

"Just out of curiosity, which shrine was it your mother had to sell?"

"I don't know. I was too young to remember which one. Mom just said it was here in Tokyo. It had been one of my goals, to find out where I truly came from, but no one knows which one was sold 23 years ago, or who to," I explained as Inuyasha sat back a bit, as if he was remembering something.

"Ya know, I do remember a shrine being sold in this area around that long ago," he mentioned as he looked off towards the ceiling.

"Which one?" I asked curiously, hoping it was nearby.

"To be completely honest, this shrine was sold around that time," he pointed out in the direction of the shrine with the old well and the tree of ages.

"This one? Were there any others?" I asked

"I don't know about any of the other shrines in Tokyo. To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention to all that happened there, as far as the family was concerned, but I do remember seeing a 'for sale' sign on it at one point. Then, the sign disappeared about a month or so later. I have no idea who bought the grounds, but it was never kept up after the original owners left."

"I was only 3 when the shrine was sold, and Souta was just a baby. When I got a little older, mom would take us to visit it, and pray at the foot of the old tree. My brother and I left her alone and played on the grounds. She ended up speechless whenever we asked her about why she prayed every time we went there. When I got older, it became difficult to come out here to see the old shrine. My mother never told us which shrine we once lived at. Strangely enough, we've never gone to a graveyard to pray at Grandfather's grave. My mother became speechless each time we asked, so we just stopped asking." I explained sullenly as Inuyasha listened intently.

"Ya know it very well may be this very shrine you left behind. Maybe we should do some investigating in the morning," he mentioned as he then directed me to lie back down. Once I nodded and laid down, he covered me with the blanket and then walked over the wall a couple feet away and sat against it.

"Are you going to watch me the whole night?" I asked.

"I'm not leaving this room. I'm not sure when Koga plans to return, so I'm going to be here with you until things change," he stated as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

I watched him for a few moments, noticing that he had rested the sword against his right shoulder. I hadn't even noticed it was with him when he had held me, and spoke with me. As I watched him, I saw images in my mind. It seemed as if I was seeing something not of this time. I closed my eyes and focused on his form as the image flowed into my mind. What I saw was a calming scene.

I saw him dressed all in red, sitting against a tree just as he is now, with the flicker of firelight silhouetting his calm face. The crackle of the unseen fire filling the background as he sat and concentrated on his surroundings. Where he was, I have no clue. What time this was, I know not either. But the scene in my mind coaxed me to sleep as I watched Inuyasha stand guard the whole night long in the camp as if I was there before.

* * *

Well, this was certainly an interesting chapter to write. Yeah, turns out Koga reacted similar to how he did to Tetsussaiga as he did in the series, but it makes sense. I'm guessing we can expect to see his wolf kin make an appearance in the near future. 'Til then, keep watching, for in two weeks, there will be more. Thanks for reading, and I certainly hope this chapter was enjoyable. 'Til next time, ja ne! 


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Hey, everyone! I'm back, and I'm very glad that I have not skipped a week like I thought I would in updating. All I know, is I'm happy I won't have to wake up early tomorrow ;-P So, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter, as I know I will writing it for you all :-D

**Chapter 10**

The sun rose slowly, as a pair of golden eyes opened to the warmth trickling in through the space between the shoji doors. A hand rose to wipe away the dried saline as a yawn sounded from the half demon's mouth. His ears shifted to hear the familiar morning sounds from the forest as his attention fell to the woman sleeping before him peacefully.

(Inuyasha's POV)

Huh, she still sleeps. Amazingly, I slept very well. Like a baby actually. It's been since that night on the plane that I've slept so deeply. Not only that, but it hit me sideways that I had strangely slept through the night while meaning to stay awake and keep watch! Damnit. I guess he decided not to show then. Good, gives me more time to prepare for them.

I looked on at the woman before me. _"The energy surrounding her, her scent, her abilities. She's no ordinary human. Something about her attracts me and I'm sure you're just as obsessed over it as I am..."_ Yeah right. I'm not obsessed, am I? I mean, my meeting her and ending up an acquaintance of hers was all by chance. What the hell does he know?

Sure, she is intriguing, but I'm not after her as if she's an addiction. I don't have to chase her. It's obviously the other way around. Those questions she asked me, and how she put me on the spot last night…I don't know how to feel, actually. I mean, I do like the girl, surprisingly, but love?

I sat and tossed it over in my head as I stared off into the distance towards the shoji across from her sleeping form. I mulled over all the moments we've had together, and how I reacted to each incident. The things I couldn't ignore were the time I transformed on the plane and felt completely safe in her presence, when I saw her in the bath, in the tower as we kissed, and I said some things that shocked even me.

"…_Something about her attracts me and I'm sure you're just as obsessed over it as I am.._." Is it possible? _"The energy surrounding her, her scent, her abilities…"_ Could he possibly be right about me? _"…it's her energy still radiating from those clothes and anything she's touched that attracts me to that room. Also, her scent calms me somewhat."_

I grit my teeth, as my brows scrunched in anger at the memory of what that freak said to me, _"…I believe you are just as bad as I am, keeping her in solitude, protecting her from the world, and not just from me. Keeping her from any being that could sense her abilities, her purity, and her energy which is so rich and enticing."_

"Huh…what does he know about my intentions?" I said to myself softly as I closed my eyes in contempt at my mind accusing me of being just like him, and agreeing with that idiot. One thing proves that I'm nothing like him. I'm not a stalker. She was the meddling one in this situation. He claims I know nothing about them, and yet, he knows nothing of me either. "I guess we are the same in a way. We both feel we deserve her," I said softly as I stood from the spot I had sat in for too long.

I yawned again deeply as I reached upwards, stretching out my back muscles from being scrunched up all night. Once my body felt slightly taller, I lifted my sword over my shoulder and eyed her one last time. She still emitted even breaths, telling me that she was still deeply asleep. "Am I really worth your attention, Kagome?" I asked silently and then left the room to take my place in the tower to look out for anything suspicious.

* * *

(Kagome's POV)

I ran with him, through the forest. He pulled me at great speed from danger. Adrenaline peaked as he stopped before me and knelt down just as he did the day he brought me to the mansion. "Get on! I'll get you somewhere safe quicker this way!"

"But, I'm in a skirt, Inuyasha…" I replied shyly. A bit too close for comfort in my opinion.

"Yeah, and? It's not like I'm gonna be able to feel you up or anything while you're on my back. What's you're problem! Just think of it as if I'm your big brother giving you a piggy back ride."

"No, that makes it even weirder!" I gulped down the bile that shot up at the thought of him being my older brother.

"How so? I don't see why that would bother you," he said as he stood and turned towards me with a scrutinizing stare.

"Well, it's just that…" I couldn't look into those eyes with that look aimed at me.

"What?" he asked as he advanced on me slightly, that look still in his eyes.

"I can't feel that way about you, Inuyasha. My heart won't allow me to pretend…" I replied as I backed up, my back hitting a tree.

"And why is that? Is there something I should know, Kagome?" he said, mischief dripping from his voice.

"N-no, not really…" I was startled by his hands clashing against the bark on both sides of my shoulders.

"You're in love with me, aren't you? That's it, isn't it?" he looked me right in the eye, holding my weak eyes for ransom. The bile began to rise again as my stomach began to rebel in nervousness. I swallowed, hoping to keep control over my body.

"I believe you are," he began as he leaned in closer, his face coming close to my neck and left ear. "There's nothing wrong with that, Kagome. If you want me, I'm yours completely." I panted in fear as his lips connected with my skin, tasting it, and embracing it.

"Do you mind if I feel the same, Kagome?" he asked in a sensual voice, sending chills down my spine. My eyes clenched shut as I began to pant. Suddenly his hands left the bark, and embraced my arms, pressing me into the wood. "Can I have you?" he asked, causing my eyes to open in shock, fear emanating from my aura and my knees began to shake.

"Well? Can I?" he asked again. His body pressed me into the tree, his hips pressing into my churning stomach as his nose sank into my hair for a sniff.

"N-no…" I replied timidly as my voice shook.

His ministrations stopped as he harshly angled my chin to look up to his gaze. "Why the hell not? I know you love me, so let me love you back!" he commanded.

I hardened my gaze and stood up for myself. "I am not expecting that kind of love from you. There are other forms of love out there, and this is not the one I'm looking for!" I shouted.

Suddenly, my body was lifted from the ground, and before I knew it, He had me pinned on the ground, as his mouth tasted my skin, wanting to please it. I struggled only to fail as he took control of the situation. I cried out as I continued to fight against him as much as I could. I scrunched my eyes shut as another voice flowed to my ears. I stopped breathing. I opened my eyes in fear to see Koga looking down on me with an evil smirk on his face. "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

_Gasp_ I sat up quickly to see an empty room before me. I panted in fear, sweat beading down my cheeks. "A dream. It was only a dream. But why did Inuyasha become Koga suddenly? What did that mean?" I asked no one as I finally began to calm down, accepting that sometimes, reality can be a blessing.

The one part about that dream was the fear that had raced through my body, paralyzing it until danger was upon me. But danger in the form of the one I hold close to me? Why? I sat on the futon contemplating my feelings for the hanyou, and his presence. How do I truly feel about him? Do I love him truly, if my dreams show that I can fear him?

* * *

Later, after I had calmed down a bit and cleaned myself up for the day, I followed his aura to the tower where I found him sitting against the wall, watching out the window intently, concentrating heavily on the surrounding forest as a guard would normally do. I watched him as I approached and sat down beside him. My arrival didn't seem to catch his attention in the least, until he spoke.

"Sleep well?"

I nodded as I replied with, "Very. Least 'til that last dream I had that thankfully launched me back into reality."

"Another nightmare," he stated as if it was a daily occurrence.

"Yes."

"What happened?" he asked simply, his gaze still trained on the tree line.

"I was attacked by you, but something strange happened." That caught his attention. "You were about to rape me, when you turned into Koga. That was when I woke up."

"I turned into Koga. And on top of that, I was forcing myself on you?" I nodded in reply. He looked away as he replied with, "You have nothing to fear with me, I assure you of that. I mean, as far as Koga is concerned, he's got me thinking weirdly. He's got me wondering if I am like him."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"He said something to me yesterday. He said I was just as bad as he is simply because I feel the need to shelter you from the rest of the world. He said I'm just as obsessed with you as he is. Only thing is, I don't just want to mate with you as he does. He thinks I want you all to myself."

"Well? Is he right?" I asked, hoping he would reply in a negative sense.

"I don't know right now. I know that I want to protect you from someone who requests your love against your will, but am I really doing more harm than good hiding you from the rest of the world?" he asked as his eyes left the tree line and rested on the floor before him.

"Inuyasha, I have to admit. You're stuck in the middle of this, and I apologize. I guess I just felt at first that if there was anyone I could trust, it would be the one who was pushing me away," there, I admitted it. My deepest secret in regards to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked to me in understanding, as my eyes shyly looked through my bangs at him. "There's nothing wrong with what you did. You came to me and gave me an opportunity to feel important. Something I hadn't felt in a long time. If I have done anything to scare you…"

"Stop," I interrupted as I closed my eyes in contempt. "You've done nothing wrong, Inuyasha. It is my entire fault that you're in the middle of this strange situation."

"True, but you're not the only one who finds comfort in this situation we're in. No man feels worth anything until he has a woman to protect, love, take care of, or provide for. You get it? Don't apologize for this."

"Is that true?" I asked, gaining a nod from him as he looked me in the eye. "Then, what next?"

"I don't know, and at this point, I don't care. I'm just going to concentrate on the tree line. You can stay if you want, but I refuse to allow danger to find you."

I nodded and scooted close to him, laying my head on his shoulder. A few moments later, his left arm rose to hold me to his side. We both sat silently as we awaited the inevitable.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the apartment building, the blue eyes of a wolf demon opened slightly as a groan emitted from his mouth. He had slept out on the window ledge of Kagome's living room window. He decided against staying in his apartment last night since Inuyasha locked Kagome's apartment. Her leaky window was the best source of smelling even the smallest hint of her scent. As he looked around, he noticed his surroundings and shivered due to his clothes being drenched with the morning dew.

He shifted and groaned in pain from his back muscles complaints. He huddled up in the corner of the window ledge through the night while holding his legs to his chest. His jaw even felt out of place due to the amount of pressure put on it from resting it on his knees. Once he stood as tall as he could, he stretched out his back, quite a few cracks sounding, causing him to grunt in pain and discomfort. Few cracks of the shoulders and neck, and he seemed a bit more awake as he stood and looked in on the vacant apartment.

(Koga's POV)

Damnit. What am I gonna do now? I can't live like this, and I refuse to sleep outside again. The last thing I want is to be taken to jail for breaking and entering her apartment by force. As long as I don't disturb her apartment too much, no one will suspect something had been going on at least. Man, that mutt has really pissed me off now.

I decided to leave the window and climb on the ledge to go into my apartment window. Once inside, I picked up my cordless phone and dialed the first number that came to mind. My comrades who have stuck by me for hundreds of years. Ginta and Hakaku. Hopefully they will stand by me this time against that mutt face.

"Hello?" I heard on the other end.

"Hey, Ginta. It's me, Koga."

"Hey, how've ya been, man?"

"Well, not so good. Listen, ya mind if I come by? I have some things to discuss with you and Hakaku."

"Sure, come one over, Koga. We'll be waiting."

"Thanks, bye," I replied as I then clicked the phone off and set it down on the cradle to be charged. I looked around at my apartment and found some clean clothes, and everything I may need to keep myself calm. One of those items I decided to bring with was a necklace I had found at her place. I didn't really recognize it, but it seemed precious, and it faintly emits some of her energy.

* * *

"Hakaku! Wake up, man! Koga's coming over!" Ginta exclaimed as he jiggled his friend's shoulder to wake him up.

"What? Who's coming over?" Hakaku groaned groggily.

"Koga, you dork! Get up, or he'll be here before you're even ready. He said he had some things to discuss with us."

"Okay, I'm up," the wolf demon comrade replied with a yawn as he scratched his shoulder on his way to his bathroom to get ready.

"Good, I'll make some breakfast," Ginta said aloud as he walked towards the kitchen to concoct something from what little they had at the moment.

* * *

(Koga's POV)

About a half hour later, I arrived at the apartment, announcing my arrival with a knock. Ginta let me in a moment later asking, "What happened to you, Koga? You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good either," I replied as I took a seat at the table to see small helpings of eggs set before three separate spots.

"It's been a while since you've contacted us, but it seems not much has changed since we saw you last."

"Well, actually, a lot has changed. Ginta, I need your help with something," I began as I grabbed the Chopsticks from the table to start eating.

"What's that?"

"I have a problem I need your assistance with. You see, there's this girl…"

"Who?" he interrupted me! What a punk!

"Just a girl who lives next door to me at the apartment. Anyways, we've had some problems with this guy, and I can't take him alone, if ya know what I mean."

"Wait, is this something along the lines of him stealing your girl? Or is he just coming between you two to be annoying?" Ginta asked as Hakaku finally came out to join us.

"Well, I have been friends with her for a while, and all of a sudden, he comes in and gets all protective and shit. Now he has her held at his place, wherever it is."

"Wait, he kidnapped her?" Ginta asked, as Hakaku looked at us with wide eyes as he asked, "Who? What? What did I miss?"

I slapped my forehead and shook my head in annoyance. "Hakaku, why don't you think about coming out when you hear someone's coming to see you?"

"Well, it's not my fault you two couldn't wait a few minutes for me," Hakaku replied as he whisked his eggs to mix in the cheese.

"Anyways, this girl is a flight attendant. I had been flying on her flights for months until this jerk started flying on the same schedule oddly enough. I don't know why, but he was traveling every month, and was quite an ass to her in the beginning. Now, he's gone all protective on her. He claims that I'm a threat to her."

"Well, what are you intentions? What's she like?" Ginta asked as he took a swig of tea with a slurp.

"I can't really explain why, but I have fallen for her, badly. Not only that, but you know how wild I used to be?" they both nodded in remembrance as I continued. "Well, she's kinda tamed the beast, if ya know what I mean. I don't wanna be so reckless anymore, like I used to be. She calms me. Just her scent alone thrusts me into euphoria."

"Wow. That bad, eh? And what's her thought on all this? Is she on this other guy's side? Does she like you?" Hakaku asked, actually sounding somewhat intelligent for once.

"Honestly, it seems a bit fishy to me how things are working out. She's now staying at his place, which from what I could tell is out in the middle of a forest nearby, and he won't let her visit even her apartment! He locked me out of it completely! The jerk."

"Wait, you mean she allowed you access to her apartment? Did you two stay together there often?" Ginta asked.

"Not really. When she was away, I stayed there to enjoy her scent."

"That's weird, Koga. Does she know you'd been doing that?" The brightest of them asked as he chewed his eggs.

"No, I did it in secret. But, since that mutt got involved, I haven't seen even a hair of her."

"Wait, you said mutt. Who is this guy you need our help with?"

"Wow, took you long enough to ask. His name is Inuyasha. He's a half demon. Half dog demon, half human."

"Oh, okay. He can't be that much of a challenge for you, since he's only a half demon," Hakaku opened his mouth and inserted his foot.

"Shut up! You have no clue who he is, dirt bag! I already confronted him last night, and he had a weapon with him, one that could easily kill an opponent before his enemy even touches him!"

"He does? What kind of weapon? Is it strong?" They both asked simultaneously.

"It's a demonic sword. One that's capable of shooting spiritual energy he controls at his opponent, obliterating them, even in mid-air," I explained as I set my Chopsticks down on the plate. The two shot stunned looks my way, causing the apartment to fall silent.

"And you need our help?" I nodded, gee…Why else would I be here?

"Yes, I need your help. We'll have a better chance in greater numbers," I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't know, Koga. If he could kill us before we even reach him, what's the point of us coming along?" Hakaku asked. What a stupid question.

"I need a distraction so that I could reach him and knock the sword out of his hands. He's easy prey without the sword. You guys aren't nearly as quick as I am, so you'd serve me well as his distraction."

"Wait, you said you fought with him last night, is that correct?" Ginta asked.

"Yes."

"Well, won't he be prepared for something like this? I mean, he may not give a shit about us, and kill us before you can get to him!"

"Well, that's your loss, not mine."

"You mean you don't care if we live or die?" Ginta asked with a look of surprise on his face.

"I didn't say that, stupid. I meant that you two would have to fend for yourselves while I disarm him!" Damn these two are dense!

"Oh! Okay, now I get it. So, it's a test of faith then. I'm game. How about you Hakaku?"

"Well, I don't have much of a choice since Koga saved our lives many times in the feudal era when we fought all those demons. I'll follow."

"Good. Then let's get going, 'cuz I wanna surprise him if we can," I suggested as we stood and left the apartment to fight the battle.

'_Just you wait, jerk. We're coming for ya, and we're not weaklings.'_

* * *

Well, I know it's short and it did end in a cliffy. But, I think this is a good place to end it so that I can get it posted as promised  I certainly hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you next time! Ja ne! 


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Well, minna, I am glad to say that we have another chapter to read and enjoy. I am enjoying writing this fic, and I just thought I'd show a little appreciation for your encouragement and reviews to keep it going. I really appreciate it, and without further ado, here it is!

**Chapter 11**

(Inuyasha's POV)

As the day went by, I continued to watch the tree line, as Kagome slumbered, her head in my lap. She had said not too long ago that something bothered her, and she decided not to leave my side, not even for a second. Heck, she even acted like a scared little child, and literally begged me to walk her to the bathroom, convinced something would happen to her while in the privacy of the bathroom. Like anyone would abduct a woman while she's doing her business on the Jon, for goodness sake.

However, I stood guard to keep her feeling safe and grumbled inwardly all the while. As soon as she was finished, we headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat, and then returned immediately to the tower. We ate quietly and concentrated on the scenery. I was glad she had put trust in me, and to have a woman to protect once again. Another chance to prove to myself that I can protect the ones I care for.

When she fell into a light nap, her head falling into my lap, I closed my eyes for the first time, and concentrated on her aura. I once again thought about what Koga had explained to me, about what he had noticed in himself. I finally noticed that her pure energy does bring warmth. Her scent is pleasant, and she does have some way of calming, even a beast such as me.

When I opened my eyes, I found that I had unconsciously cradled her close to my body during the observation. She continued to slumber, not noticing the closeness of my body as I continued to eye her sleeping face, her eyes, and then her thinly parted lips. Before I knew it, my head had dipped lower, and my lips grasped hers in a tender kiss. Her lips so soft, tender, and beautiful. Suddenly, she began to kiss me back.

My eyes opened slightly to see her eyes still shifting under her eyelids. She still dreamt as I kissed her. As a strange thought hit me, I closed my eyes and delved into the kiss. Her lips parted to allow access and my tongue darted in to taste her. Her arms snaked around my neck as her mouth began to hunger mine just as much.

As the kiss continued, I began to lose control, due to her dream, which I had obviously gained control over. I suddenly gained a thought and concentrated my hearing past her moaning to the outdoors, and that was when I heard it. Someone had jumped through the tree line and landed in front of the mansion.

"Shbbt" I mumbled against her lips, as she pulled me to the floor atop of her. As her mouth continued to ravage mine, I tried to free my mouth from hers. The more I tried, mumbling her name into her mouth, she held me ever closer. Gaining frustration, I grabbed both sides of her face and lifted my face from hers.

She awoke with a gasp, a priceless expression on her face. "Inuyasha? What the…"

"This is not the time to explain. Koga's here. You stay here, out of sight. And I must ask that you sit far enough away from the windows so they will not see you," I explained as I lifted her from the ground and sat her up against the far wall.

"No, what just happened? Why were you on top of me?" she asked as I drew the blinds and closed them.

"I told you, this isn't the time! I have to take care of this first. As long as you don't interfere, no matter what you hear, we will talk later."

"You mean you're going to keep me in suspense of the fight as well as your answer?" Kagome asked as she stood, blocking my way from the stairs.

"Kagome, if you do not let me past, they will follow our scents up here, fight me in close quarters, and more than likely make off with you. If I am to protect you, then I suggest letting me pass," I commanded as I walked up to her, my eyes scrutinizing hers.

"No." Insolent wench. Whether or not she had just turned me into a heating pad with the emotional embrace she had me in, I wanted to smack her away badly.

I closed my eyes as I came back with, "Then you leave me with no choice." As she stood gawking at me, I placed my right hand on her left side and pushed her away, her body flumping to the floor.

"Ahhh!" she gasped as she hit the floor. "What did you do that for?!" she managed.

"You were standing between me and your freedom, idiot. Don't get in my way of protecting you. If you continue, then I will forget what just happened and toss you out the window where Koga can have you," I spat as my glare hit her eyes, causing her to slink back with a gasp. Seriously, how dumb can she be? Her mind must not be functioning now.

After a few moments of silent glaring at her, I descended the staircase and headed straight for the dojo to grab the sword. Once the treasured Tetsussaiga rested at my hip, I then leapt through the open shoji and onto the grass beside the mansion. I jumped high and far, and then landed seconds later just before the entrance into the mansion. "Where do you think you're headed, wolf scum?"

"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder where you were for a minute there. A bit slow on your senses aren't you?" Koga goaded as he sniffed a moment, a glare appearing on his face. "Why you…I smell her all over you. Tell me, what you have been doing with her!"

"As if I'd ever tell you!" I spat as I drew my sword. "You will not pass, least not without being blown to bits that is."

"Koga is that the weapon you mentioned earlier?" the blonde-haired wolf to his right asked.

"Yeah, that's the one." His glare pierced my eyes as he answered his pup of a comrade.

"So, I see you couldn't challenge me on your own. How cowardly, three on one is hardly a fair fight." I pointed out as I angled the sword toward him, using it to point rather than my finger.

"Well, I aint stupid, Mutt. You and that sword make it wise to bring two others, since I alone can't fight you in the way I would like to."

"This has nothing to do with brains, wolf. This has to do with fairness. If you are not man enough to fight me on your own, then you certainly haven't the nerve to handle a woman like Kagome."

"What do you mean by that? And you aren't one to criticize, wielding a demonic sword when I have no such powers at my disposal. Now who's the coward?"

"Shut up! You're pissing me off!" I spat as I released the energy for the wind scar, raising the sword vertical in an offensive stance.

"Maybe we should've listened to our instincts, Ginta" the other wolf lackey observed.

"Quiet…I'd rather suffer his wrath than Koga's"

"You should be so lucky. I will show no mercy, which I'm sure this softy of a wolf would give," I stated as I then readied for my attack. "This attack will obliterate all three of you, aura and all!"

"Only if you're fast enough, Mutt!" Koga shouted just before I released the wind scar. As I stood, watching my attack fly and then dissipate, silence fell as the dust began to settle. I waited, poised for another attack if needed. A moment later, I heard groans from the two pawns the wolf brought with him.

I looked desperately for my target. When it hit me that the wind scar missed him, I was hit from behind, and thrown forward into the dirt, my sword stance completely broken. "How pathetic, dogface! You have such bad aim that you couldn't even hit my comrades who never even moved!"

I lifted myself onto my elbows and strained to look at him over my shoulder as I spat, "Asshole…"

"Tsch…I aint an asshole, I just have better instincts. You can't get rid of me that easily."

I stood up and faced him once again, my sword readied for another attack. The only thing different was my approach to the situation. In gauging Koga, I chose to attack at will, and see how he'd react. Seeing as he's one to leap out of harm's way, I have no choice but to pull a bluff. "So, you're afraid to taste the strength of my attack, eh? I would at least try and withstand what I could, you weakling."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Koga pointed out as he stood lazily against the post just to the side to the entrance into the mansion.

"What difference does that make if I am?" I spat.

"Are you gonna shoot your mansion with your attack? You very well may kill Kagome. Then I'll definitely have to kill you instead of just defeat you, Mutt."

"I wasn't planning on that, stupid!"

"Then come at me without the ridiculous weapon!" he egged me on, hoping to get me to sheath the sword.

"Hell no! You have a sword on you too. I'm not stupid enough to disarm myself in front of the likes of you," I pointed out, what a fool.

"I'm not saying that, I will only draw my sword of you come at me without any power release! Meaning, only if you play fair!" he shouted.

"Oh, I get it. One on one sword fight without any tricks, eh? You're on!" I shouted as I charged him, causing him to draw his sword.

(Clang) Our blades met, as we grunted from the amount of strength used to hold each other off. We fought, clanging and slicing at each other's swords, nothing existing around us save for our glares, and the sweet sound of metal on metal.

* * *

As the two demons fought, sword against sword, the two wolf demons regained consciousness and noticed the fight transpiring between Koga and the hanyou held their full attention. They both eyed each other and winked in agreement to do what they felt was right. They got up, snuck off to the side, and into the mansion to seek out the girl Koga had talked about earlier that morning. Only problem was, neither of them knew what the woman smelled like, not knowing which scent to follow.

As they explored the first floor, they noticed the scent of the mutt was everywhere, almost cloaking any possibility of another scent lingering. They decided to look through the rooms blindly, hoping Koga could hold the hanyou's attention long enough to make off with the girl.

* * *

"You have no style, mutt face! How do you expect to fight offensively if you have no technique?"

"Shut up! You're just as chaotic, wolf! I have to be defensive until I find a hole in your stance!"

"Like you're ever gonna find one, mutt!"

We argued over each other's fighting as we continued to clang swords together, switching off on knocking each other off balance and into attacks only to end up parried by the other. An even match, the toughest kind of fight to end up in. I do love a good challenge when I fight, but this was just frickin annoying!

"You're attacks are just as weak, wolf turd!" I ground out through my clenched teeth.

"Shut up! You're such a hypocrite, you hanyou scum!"

Damnit! This fight has to end sometime! That was when I looked over my shoulder and saw two opponents missing. My eyes shot open wide in realization. While Koga locked me into this weak fight, they made their way past us and into the mansion! "You bastard! You brought them with you not to gang up on me, but to make off with Kagome!"

"Tsch…Took you long enough, dog breath!"

"I can't believe I fell for it! Son of a Bitch!" I shouted as I switched angles, got his back to face the trees and swung my sword against his as I released the wind scar at him from close range. The wind scar engulfed him and he leapt out a second later, just in time to survive.

He landed a few feet away from the trenches of energy and fell to his knees panting and groaning. "That's my wind scar. Hope you enjoyed it, wolf." I spat over my shoulder as I made my way into the mansion. "Kagomeeee!" I shouted as I ran up the stairs.

When I arrived in the tower, I saw that they had found her just before I arrived. One had her tied up and stood with a sword to her neck from behind. I stopped immediately. "Kagome…No…"

"You may have beaten Koga to get up here, but we're not letting her go. She's not yours to hoard any longer."

"You think that's what this is all about, huh? I don't know what Koga had fed you, but I am protecting her, not holding her against her will as Koga may have stated. You are not rescuing her, you're kidnapping her."

"Shut up! You're wrong! Koga would never harm a woman!" The other idiot spat.

I set the sword over my right shoulder as I stood shifting my weight onto my left leg. "You know shit about the situation. She asked for my protection. If you'd listen to her, she'd tell you the truth. I have done nothing wrong here."

"Okay, I'll release your gag, but I want you to be truthful, woman," the captor spat in her ear as he pulled the rag from her mouth.

"It's true, I ran to Inuyasha. He was trying to push me away, but I decided to trust in him."

"Trust in this hanyou?! Why?"

"Because Koga was stalking me, and making me feel uncomfortable! Then, when he caught wind of some sort of relationship between Inuyasha and me on the airplane, he got wickedly jealous, claiming me to be his woman, when we never even dated!" she exclaimed as she shifted gazes at both of them.

"Why would Koga do that?"

"It's because of the energy she possesses," I cut in, causing them to give me their full attention. "He admitted to me last night that her scent calms him, and her energy causes him to be attracted to her. He figured I was the same way, calling me lower than him and wanting her all to myself, which is far from the truth. I am here merely to keep her safe from a perverted possessive asshole like you're comrade."

"Well, you are right about one thing, Koga can be possessive. But, I don't know what you're talking about with all the scent and energy stuff," the one holding her spat.

"Pay close attention to the energy around you. Her energy has the ability to calm even the most hateful of beasts." That gained an interesting look from the beautiful captive before me. I held nothing back from the gaze that caressed her eyes.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered in realization of what I had just said.

"I will admit, she is amazing as a human, but I am not a stalker, and I do not feel addicted to her. I feel a different need. A need to keep her safe, happy and provide for her. Much different from your friend. I assure you, I am nothing like him."

At the realization of my explanation, Kagome was released and she ran to my arms in tears. I wrapped my arm around her, and settled the grand sword at her back protectively.

The two wolf cubs eyed us in silence as the mastermind came barreling up the stairs behind us. I sidestepped against the nearest wall, Kagome still cradled in my arms.

"What the hell? What's going on here?" Koga asked as his gaze shifted from his comrades to us, huddled in the corner against the adjacent wall.

"Get your hands off her!" he shouted as he rushed us. Just as I braced my sword against her back for protection, he was held back by his comrades. "What the…Get your hands off me!"

"Koga, look at them!" he stopped struggling and eyed us, Kagome's scared face, and her hands gripping my shirt tightly. "Koga, I had her in my arms, but when I released her after Inuyasha explained what was going on, she ran right to him, and she hasn't let go of him since."

"What, are you calling me a liar?" he asked the one at his right appallingly.

"Yes," the other one stated, his harsh gaze piercing the one who had just answered.

What happened next was shocking. He freed himself and then beat the two down in frustration, his eyes glowing red with wrath. As Koga went off on his comrades, I released Kagome from my arms, and directed her to the wall behind me. "Inuyasha, what are you…."

"Stay behind me. There's no telling what he will do when he's finished with them." I explained as I took a step forward and readied my sword to hold him off.

"Okay," she replied as she grabbed hold of my shirt from behind.

"You insolent companions. I should have killed you both long ago! You two have been nothing but trouble for me this whole time!" the wolf shouted repeatedly as one sat up and asked, "Then why did you save us all those times when you could've just left us for dead?"

"Because you're my best men!" he exclaimed, causing him to stop beating the one below him.

"Hey, wolf…Am I still your opponent here? Or are you just gonna finish getting your jollies off on these two? 'Cuz if your fight no longer includes me, then I suggest you take it outside."

"Oh, no. I aint finished with you, hanyou. I won't be finished with you until your heart in is my hand as it beats for the last time," he spat as drool fell from the corner of his lip, showing he had totally lost control.

"As if I'll ever let you have that satisfaction. You might as well quit while you're ahead."

"Shut up!" he shouted as he left the wolf and charged me instead, causing me to back Kagome against the wall.

"Shit, Kagome…" I ground out as he pushed my sword back with his, the strength obviously greater than a few minutes ago. Sweat began to bead on my forehead as I began to worry over the situation.

"I'm…all right…" she ground out behind me; I could feel her struggle to breathe behind me, her chest pulsing directly into my back as much as it could.

I did what I could to push Koga back to give her room to breathe, but he removed his hand from his sword and punched me in the chest, knocking the wind from me while knocking Kagome unconscious. I fell forward gasping and coughing for air, exposing her as she slid down the wall. When she fell to the floor beside me, Koga finally awoke and ran to her calling her name.

I gathered my wits and turned to see him shaking her in fear. I reached over and exclaimed, "Don't shake her; she has a fucking concussion because of you!" I shoved him away form her, as I gathered her into my arms.

"I didn't know she was behind you. Damnit! You are the one to blame, you asshole!"

"You're the one who went ballistic with her present. It's your fault, because you want her so badly you ended up hurting her. You don't truly care about her, you only care about yourself!" I exclaimed, sending him a piercing glare. "You better leave this mansion now before I grab you and run you through with my sword, right here and now."

Koga remained silent as my glare remained on him intensely, never wavering. He closed his eyes in shame, stood and sheathed his sword. I watched him as he picked up the unconscious wolf and dragged him down the stairs without a fight. The one who remained conscious came forward.

"I do apologize for my lord Koga. He's never lost a female to another, so he's taking it very hard. Believe me, we have tried many times to get him to let go when it seemed hopeless, but he's very prideful, and does not like to back out of a fight, whether the female meant something to him or not. And my name is Ginta, the other's is Hakaku." He explained with a bow.

"Ginta, eh? Keep an eye on Koga, or you're not getting past my sword either. No man has the right to possess a woman, no matter what the situation. If he can't understand that way of honor, then he has no business ever having relations with females of any species." I stated, gaining a bow from him once again, stating he will abide. He then made eye contact with assurance and quietly left the mansion to follow the wolf leader back to their den.

In the silence of the mansion tower, I cradled the woman in question and felt the back of her head for any lumps. Finding a slight one, I lifted her into my arms and descended the stairs to take her to her futon to take care of her, and nurse her back to health after such a traumatic injury.

"Thank God he finally realized what he had done to this woman. How he frightened her, and how he hurt her. When one loses control over his instincts and wants, he is more apt to hurt the one he longs to possess. Even I know that, having lost Kikyo in a similar way long ago."

* * *

Wow! 7 pages, in 3 hours! Can you believe that? I have finished this chapter in record time, and I am glad to say, I actually got this ready for you all sooner than I thought. I enjoyed this chapter thoroughly, and I certainly hope you did the same. Well, 'til next time, ja ne! 


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Oi, minna! Well, since I am spending more time in reception right now, I decided to enjoy the free mind time and write this chapter, as well as the latest chapter of Street Musician. So, enjoy this week, since I'm not sure if I will be able to do the same next week :-D

**Chapter 12**

The wolves left, and Inuyasha lifted Kagome from the floor to take her to her room once again. Once he entered her room, he laid her upon the floor and gathered her bedding for her comfort. After he had her lain upon the futon, her head propped up on the pillow, he then left her to gather some provisions.

The fight went through his mind as he gathered everything needed to take care of her. Koga was such an idiot. Also, to have such numb skulls as his comrades…makes Koga a complete joke.

If there's one thing Inuyasha knew about wolves, would be they hunt and live in packs, one being the leader. Who knows what happened to the rest of Koga's pack, but it wouldn't take much to instill fear into the minds of those weaklings.

As he walked back to Kagome's room, he got a shot of pain in the back of his head, which hit Kagome when Koga punched him. He raised his hand to the bump on the back of his head and hissed in pain. He then looked down to see her lying still, as if dead on the futon before him.

He had no clue what affect the hit had on her, just that she had not gained consciousness since she hit the floor. He knelt down before her and set down the bowl of water as he dipped a rag in, wrung it out, then set it on her forehead, neatly folded. He touched her cheek to determine her temperature, and then sat back on his haunches.

(Inuyasha's POV)

What am I supposed to do now? I'm not sure if Koga has been completely deterred, but if he has…What do I do with Kagome? Do I keep her here? Do I let her go back home and to her job?

I really don't know. What would I do here without her? I mean, she only has an apartment, right? I could help her end her lease…

Wait…what am I thinking? She's gonna stay here with me? Honestly, I don't see why she would. I mean, I know I'd want to go right back where I started, back into my own life.

But can I trust Koga now? Trust that he'd leave Kagome alone. I guess I won't know until she awakens, only…How would someone decide something like this? At that thought, a moan escaped her, and her eyes strained to open.

"Kagome," I said aloud, and her eyes turned towards me. "Are you all right?"

"Ow…" she moaned as she touched her forehead and the rag fell to the side.

"Koga punched me in the chest not knowing that you were behind me. I know my head bonked yours. Do you feel okay?" I asked as she tried to sit up.

"My head and my chest hurt," she complained as she then looked around in fear. "Where's Koga? What's happened? Are we still in danger?"

"No. When your body hit the floor unconscious, that gave me the edge to put him in his place. He left with his comrades after I told him he doesn't deserve you because of his actions."

"Oh, thank goodness. I was so frightened when those two demons grabbed me and almost made off with me. I'm so glad you made it in time," she replied as she wrapped her arms around me and held me close.

I returned the embrace and closed my eyes. "I'm glad I was able to keep you safe from harm, Kagome. When I reached the tower and I saw that sword at your throat, I thought it wasn't going to end well," I said as I held her protectively to my chest.

"I'm glad they listened to you. I thought I was going to die right there!" she exclaimed and I felt my shirt chill as her tears fell.

I sighed as I then lowered her back to the futon and laid down beside her while my arms propped me up above her. I moved her bangs to the side as she eyed me with uncertainty. "Did I tell you that one of the reasons why I want you around is because you are so beautiful?"

"No, I didn't know you saw me that way," she replied as my hand caressed her cheek tenderly.

"You are," I replied, and then leaned lower to connect my lips to hers, and the feeling caused us both to pant through our noses. She snaked her arms around my neck again as my hands slipped beneath her back. Before we knew it, my legs had become entangled with hers.

As we both ended up in vulnerable positions when suddenly, an electrifying aura arose, enveloping us as we continued. I opened my eyes as she devoured me. We were surrounded in a pinkish hue. Suddenly, immense pain shot through me, causing me to detach from her lips and scream out.

She opened her eyes, gasped at the sound, and finally saw the situation as I writhed in pain. "Kagome…" I ground out as I pushed away from her and the pain stopped. She sat up as I lowered my head while panting.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" she asked as she reached for me.

"Don't touch me!" I exclaimed with a glare, and she slinked away shyly. "I don't know what caused your aura to flare so I can not touch you."

"Was I purifying you again?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied as I stood and walked towards the door.

"Please don't leave me, Inuyasha," she called behind me, causing me to stop. "I know Koga isn't going to come after me now, but I need you with me."

"How?" I asked as I turned towards her. "I can't 'be' with you, obviously! Not how I want to be anyways. I have to be careful around you now. Something's not right here, and I need some time to think," I stated as I then left her room and slid the door shut.

That was scary. Just from being in that position, her energy began to purify me. I wasn't doing anything to hurt her, or to cause her fear. I am beginning to believe she has no control over her own energy. Now, who could help her with that?

As those thoughts raced through my mind, I reached the tower again, where she lost consciousness just about an hour earlier. The only time I can think of where I'd be safe in her embrace, would be on the moonless night. Unfortunately, tonight is not that night. "Damn it…"

(Kagome's POV)

What happened just now? Why was he being purified? I didn't mean to do it…; I wanted him more than anything. Why would my energy suddenly purify him while kissing him?

I then decided to concentrate on my energy. I closed my eyes and touched my energy. I felt a wealth of power swell around me. It was nearly overwhelming as I tried to understand it. I then searched within myself to see where the energy was coming from.

Suddenly, I saw it, a ball of energy small enough to latch onto a chain. I reached out to touch it, and even my hands were barred from the ball. Knowing this, I looked clearly to see where this object was inside me. Only thing was, all I could see was red surrounding it. I stopped the search and stood from my bedding to find Inuyasha so that we could figure this out.

I went to the tower, knowing I could find him there. When I reached the room, I saw him sitting against the wall with the farthest window open, the breeze blowing his gorgeous silver hair about. When my presence caught his attention, he took a glance at me, and then looked out the window once again.

I sat down beside him and looked with him at the tree line. "Inuyasha, I am really sorry."

"I know it's not your fault. I just can't touch you tonight."

"I decided to search myself and I found something interesting," I mentioned, catching his attention.

"What did you find?"

"I found a small ball of energy within me. I tried to touch it, but it barred me from such an action."

"A ball of energy? What did it look like?" he asked with a look of curiosity in his eyes.

"Like…a jewel, a small pink jewel."

"You're kidding! Kagome, what you described is the very thing, which caused my life to fall to pieces! The Shikon Jewel!" he exclaimed in shock. "Where in your body is it?" he asked, as he looked me directly in the eye.

"I don't know. I tried to place it, but all I saw was red."

"No organs? No bones?" he was beginning to get weirder by the moment.

"No, just red…"

"Lay down," he requested suddenly. I laid on my back before him as he then leaned over me, reaching his hand out to sweep over my body without touching me. I watched his eyes as he searched my body for the familiar aura. This continued for a few moments when his hand stopped over my left side between my hip and my ribs. "Right here."

"What are we gonna do?" I asked as he shifted above me.

"It needs to be removed; otherwise, it could kill you. You see, this is the reason you attract such beasts as you have. Including me," he replied as his eyes switched back to mine.

"You mean you don't truly…"

"I don't know yet. I am attracted to the jewel, always have been. I can't tell you whether or not I will still feel the need to be near you once it's removed," he replied as he lifted my shirt and touched the skin beneath.

"So…do you plan to slash it out of me?" I asked shakily.

He looked at me with troubled eyes, "I don't have a choice."

"What will we do with it?"

"You will hold onto it, protect it, and purify it. That shall become your life's meaning from this point on," he replied solemnly.

"How do you know this?" I asked as he sat down beside me, a sad expression on his face.

"This was the same fate bestowed upon Kikyo before I met her. She was the guardian of the Shikon Jewel, and fate chose her, just as it has chosen you. You see, you are truly Kikyo's reincarnation. When she died, she was burned on a pyre with the jewel in her hands. At first, when I realized who you were, I was hoping this wasn't the case."

"Kagome, your life now belongs to that jewel. You can never go back to the life you had before. I'm sorry." The tone in his voice caused me to feel tears coming as it hit me. The look on his face, it was as if he was about to cry as well.

"Inuyasha, is there a way to get rid of the jewel? To destroy it so it would not fall into the hands of evil?" I asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"There is one way. However, it would come with a price." He replied as his gaze shifted to the floor.

"What is it?"

He turned his eyes back to mine as he replied with, "A benevolent wish must be bestowed upon the jewel in order to purify it completely."

"So, we should just wish on it for a good cause and it would be eliminated forever?"

"It's not that simple a wish, Kagome. The only wish that could be made upon it could only be done by someone pure."

"Then what should I wish for?"

"Not you, me. It will only work if I wish to become human. To turn myself from what I am into a pure being. A sacrifice must be made in order for it to work."

"But, are you even able to touch it?" I asked, gaining his full attention.

"Yes, but only just to hold it, 'least for now. If I were human, things would be different. Kagome, one thing you need to know, is that since the jewel arrived back in this world in your body, you have the ability to harness that energy. Only you can control it, however, not only you can wish upon it. Once I remove it from your body, its energy will pour out for miles, calling every beast and demon to it."

"What are we going to do then? What will happen to me?" I asked in fear.

"You will become vulnerable and unprotected. You will not be able to leave my side again. Only I will be able to protect you once it's removed. You see, right now you're aura protects it within your body. But it will drain you of your life energy if you leave it within you. Even now, you can't control it when I come near. You see, as we were kissing, I believe my impure aura mixed with yours, causing the jewel to purify me against your will."

"I see. But, are you sure there's no other way to do this?" I asked shakily.

"No. Kagome, I don't want to hurt you, but I must," he said as he then stood and said, "I'll get some supplies and then we'll handle this when I come back," he said as he descended the stairs, leaving me to think about the feel of his claws slashing my side.

"Okay, there's nothing I can do about this. I must accept this. I must be strong," I said aloud to calm myself down.

(Inuyasha's POV)

How could this be possible? I never expected the jewel to turn up centuries after Kikyo's death. Not only that, but within Kagome of all people. This certainly explains why Koga has been so drawn to her. Well, after tonight, she will attract no one. The jewel itself on the other hand…

When I arrived in the kitchen, I walked in, opened the cabinet to the first aid supplies, and gathered everything necessary. Once I had everything I needed on the counter, I looked at my right hand, at my claws. Could I really slash her with my hand? Can I really do this to her? I shook those questions from my mind and carried the supplies to the tower.

When I arrived, I saw she hadn't really moved since I left. I set the supplies down beside her, and laid a towel down and asked, "Are you ready?"

She turned around quietly, and looked to the towel I had placed behind her. A moment later, she directed scared eyes my way, causing me to give her an empathetic look. "You're going to use your claws?"

I swallowed loudly, blinked and said, "Yes."

"But you don't want to, do you?" What's she doing?

"What difference does it make? This has to be done one way or another. We have no other choice."

"I'm just worried about you because you said you're not here to hurt me," damn…

"I know, but when you have no choice, promises have to be thrown out. Kagome, I know this will hurt, but I'm here, all right? I will take great care of removing the jewel. I promise you that. Please, trust me."

Her breath got shaky as she lay down onto the towel and I lifted her shirt the expose the skin, then held up a tape-wrapped wooden dowel. "Put this between your teeth, it'll stop you from biting your tongue." Once she took the dowel and clenched it between her jaws, I took my eyes from hers and concentrated on the area to pinpoint the spot to cut.

'It must be done, or Kagome will die. Don't stop; get it out before she's poisoned. I must save her…' went through my head as I closed my eyes for a moment to clear my heart. A moment later, I opened my eyes and raised my hand above the spot. I inhaled and let out a grunt as I swiped her abdomen, and she screamed out as the blood splattered. As her moans sounded through her clenched jaw, I reached inside and grasped the ball of energy.

Sparks of purity shot through my hand up to my chest, causing me to grunt in absolute pain as I yanked it from her flesh, only to drop it on the floor, covered in blood from her wound. As I held my shaking hand, she whimpered, her hands gripping the towel beneath her. Once my hand regained its energy, I right away grabbed the antiseptic as well as the needle and thread to seal the wound.

Before I cleaned her wound, I knelt above her and kissed her forehead and cheeks gently while saying, "You did very well, Kagome. I'm going to seal it up now…You'll be fine, okay?" She nodded and took a couple deep breathes as I cleaned her wound.

About ten minutes later, I cut the string and placed a bandage and poultice over the stitches. I then looked to her face to see her eyes clenched shut and a tear falling down her cheek. As I wiped the tear away, her eyes opened slightly and I gave her a smile, hoping to calm her from the trauma. I lifted the dowel from her mouth and asked, "Are you still in a lot of pain?"

"No, just tired now. Thank you for saving me," she said groggily.

"You're welcome. You're tired because your body was so tense the whole time, so just relax," I replied as I grabbed a rag, and then the jewel. I dropped it in the bowl of hot water to remove the blood. Once it was cleaned, I turned to Kagome and said, "I'm going to take you and the jewel to your room so you can rest."

I set the bowl on her stomach, and once she had a hold of it, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to her room. When I laid her down upon the futon, I grabbed the coverlet and draped it over her legs and sat down beside her. She then reached into the bowl, gripped the jewel and turned it to see it. I took the bowl from her chest and watched her as she examined the Shikon Jewel.

"So this is to become my life now," she said rhetorically. "The energy surrounding this jewel…It's not easy to hold, for even me."

"It shoots pain from my hand to my chest when I hold it."

"Then how will you wish upon it?"

"I must wait 'til the next new moon to wish upon it. The good part about this now, is I no longer have to avoid you."

"That's true. Do you still feel drawn to me?" she asked.

I sat and eyed her, and I searched my heart. "Yes. Only I'm drawn to you in a different way now."

"How different?"

"I no longer feel the need to protect you as I did. There's no desperation in my soul now."

"How do you feel towards me now?" Damn! I wish she'd quit asking these weird questions!

"I'm freer to feel towards you."

"Do you feel love towards me?" now why did she have to ask that?!

"Love?" Honestly, I don't know how to answer that one…

"Yes, love, Inuyasha. Do you love me?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"Because, I love you…"

Now there's a shocker for me. I mean, yeah she ran to me when she needed someone the most, but…What did I do to gain her love? I've been nothing but a pain in her ass! And here she loves me? "Why do you love me? After all I've put you through…"

"I can't explain it, Inuyasha. I have just come to fall for you. Is that okay?"

Oh, now that's sweet…Well, I don't really have much of a choice, now that I'm watching over her. "Yeah, it's okay. It's just I haven't been close with anyone since Kikyo's death."

"That's all right; I want to be with you." She keeps surprising me here…

"All right." She set the jewel down beside her and then reached for my hand to pull me close.

"Let's finish what we started," she requested as our lips connected in a deep kiss, which I felt all over my body, and soul.

As we kissed, a need I hadn't felt in centuries swelled within my whole being. I wanted to be one with her so bad, but with the wound I had inflicted on her not long ago, I couldn't do it. I ended the kiss and said, "Let's wait, 'least 'til your wound is healed. I wouldn't want to cause you any pain, no more than I've already caused you tonight."

"Okay. Will you stay here with me tonight? Please?"

"Yes," I replied as I slid under the coverlet beside her. "I will hold you through the night to keep you comfortable."

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

Meanwhile, starting from within a mile of the mansion, demons awoke from their rest to feel an energy they hadn't felt in centuries, causing the skies over Japan to roar with unrest. Once the sound hit Inuyasha's ear, it twitched as he gathered the woman beside him in his arms, a growl escaping his lips.

* * *

Wow, this chapter was very interesting to write, indeed. I can see this is going a very different direction than I anticipated. Now, the question I'm juggling with, is do I continue this fic since he figured out what was causing Kagome to have such a rough life? Or do I do an epilogue and a sequel? Let me know what you think, okay? Thanks again for your support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. 'Til then, ja ne! 


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Oi, minna! I know, it has been 2 weeks, but I have had a bit rough lately in managing my writing time. I'm back in my original position for the time being, so I don't have the time as I did while in reception; case in point, I'm not bored out of my mind (Snorts). Therefore, since this is the one chapter I'm receiving visions of, I will go ahead and continue this one first before Street Musician.

In addition, I have received the most votes for me to continue the fic, and see where it leads before doing a possible sequel. So, just sit back and enjoy as we continue the story and see what happens next :-D

**Chapter 13**

I heard them as they awoke with such fury. As I held the precious woman in my hands, the jewel resting in the palm of her hand, I braced my mind for what was to come. Damn it, it seemed as if there was no way I could run from that fate of protecting the one woman meant to watch over that fucking ball of energy.

Talk about frustration, just when things were good, and we were finally going to get things going in regards to a relationship, then this happens. What am I to think? Heck, I would love a normal life, but now that will never happen. Unless…

I lifted the hand in which the jewel was held, and lifted it from her grasp. The energy shot pain up my arm, and I winced. "Your existence has caused me so much grief, and yet there's no getting rid of you, is there?" I whispered and then freed myself of Kagome's slumbering body to sit up and eye the ball in my hand.

I brought it close to my eyes as I loathed the object. I left the room and headed towards the dojo to think a bit, the jewel still in my grasp. "Why must my existence be connected to this thing? What did I do to deserve this? I just found someone I can love since Kikyo's death, and now I must fulfill that life which I wanted so much to end! Am I willing to do this all over again?"

Oh, yeah, that's right; my life wasn't meant to be fair to me. I have always had the responsibility of my troubled life to deal with. Only thing is, I must suffer with this little 'cherry' of a gift from the gods. Tsch, gift indeed. I do have to admit, this time may end up different. Only thing is, now that these times are peaceful, and the jewel miraculously awoke those dormant demons, this could be a major disaster!

I closed my fingers around the jewel and my head dropped to my chest as I sank to the wooden floor. A moment later, my shoulders shook and my fists braced the floor. My life has overwhelmed me and brought me to my knees. I must protect her, and on my own at that. I have no comrades this time, no fellow warriors to depend on just her and me. That won't work, will it?

* * *

(Koga's POV)

(Gasp) What was that? That feeling? I suddenly felt this immense amount of energy envelope me, an enticing energy. A familiar energy I searched. I felt drawn to it, more so than…wait, I recognize this feeling. It's the feeling I felt while in Kagome's presence, with either her, or any of her possessions, only much stronger. I climbed out of bed and raced to the next bedroom to wake up Ginta and Hakaku.

I burst through their door and flipped on the light, "Guys, wake up! We have to go back!"

"Wait…what are you talking about?" the uninjured wolf moaned as he covered his eyes.

"The energy, don't you feel it? This is the energy I felt while around Kagome, only it wasn't nearly as strong."

"What energy? I didn't feel anything when we were in the room with her," he replied as he finally uncovered his eyes.

"You didn't feel anything?"

"Nope, why?"

"Do you feel anything now? Aren't you feeling energized at all?"

"No," he groaned as his head rose from his pillow finally.

"Ah. Perhaps I should go alone then," I replied as I turned towards the door.

"You sure you'll be all right? I mean, Inuyasha was pretty pissed off."

"Well, he had a right to be. Only thing is something's changed, and I need to find out what happened," I replied as I looked over my shoulder.

"You think he'll let you help him if something has indeed changed? Could Kagome be in danger?"

"I don't know, but I feel a sense of worry more than anything. I haven't felt a pull of energy like this since before that bastard Naraku was defeated. And if I remember correctly, Naraku made Inuyasha's life a living hell, least that's what I was told."

"Yeah, I remember hearing the tales. Naraku decimated one of the wolf tribes just to get to him. I mean, they weren't close to us, since we defected from the main tribe, but…Do you think you can help him after what happened?"

"I'm willing to try. I'm already involved in this, so that means, I can't turn my back on them, especially since I still care for Kagome," I replied as I turned off the light and closed the door before leaving the apartment to help Inuyasha and Kagome if needed.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few prefectures south, a high-level demon awoke from his slumber to sense an energy flux that rivaled his own, a familiar energy, which brought back so many harsh memories. One in particular, the chase for Naraku during the days while the Shikon Jewel was the main artifact everyone wanted to possess.

"My Lord, you've awakened. Did you feel the rise in energy as well?"

"Yes, Jaken, it's that energy from the Shikon Jewel."

"But Lord Sesshomaru, didn't the jewel disappear from this world when that priestess your brother was with died?"

"Yes, from what I was told, she was burned on a pyre while holding the jewel. I do not know why it has returned, but I must find out why," the demon replied as he rose from his futon and pulled on his kimono.

"Do you think Inuyasha is there?"

"If I know Inuyasha, and how cruel fate can be, I believe he's holding it right now."

* * *

Just as tears began to hit the floor over my sad excuse for an existence, I heard a gasp from the doorway and I turned my gaze to see Kagome standing there, hunched over in pain. "What are you doing up?" I asked as I stood from the floor and made my way over to her.

"I heard something outside, and I noticed you were not there, so I decided to look for you. Inuyasha, I'm scared."

I embraced her to support her pained body as I replied with, "Don't be afraid, I'm here to protect you. I have no knowledge of what you heard, but whatever it was, I'm certain I will defeat it, no matter what it takes."

"Are you sure you can handle all this? I feel such foreboding energy coming from the west, and I've never fought demons or anything like that. I'm afraid of what will happen."

"I know, but remember this: I fought many demons long ago, and I've never lost a fight."

"Really? But won't you be injured?"

I released her to gaze into her eyes as my hand caressed her cheek. "I may end up hurt, but I always heal quickly, unless it's the night of the new moon, and that's not this night."

"Oh. Are you prepared for this, Inuyasha? Prepared to fight to protect another holder of the jewel?" she asked as she lifted my other hand.

"I am as prepared as I can be at the moment. Don't worry. We'll get through this. One thing you must understand, Kagome, is that since the jewel has resurfaced, this world may turn to chaos. Most demons over the centuries have gone into hibernation, cloaked themselves, or moved into areas uninhabited by humans. Now that they feel the pull of the jewel, they have more than likely become restless and will seek out the jewel's power to gain strength. Kagome, you will see things you never thought you'd see, however, you need to stay strong, for you are the only one alive who can keep this jewel pure," I explained as I set the jewel in her hand once again.

"Inuyasha, I'm not sure how to handle this…What did Kikyo do?"

I smiled assuringly as I replied with, "When the time comes, you'll know, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said as he buried her head in my chest and I held her close to keep her calm.

(Sigh) Why must I always play the hero for some damsel in distress? Not only that, but why must every woman I fall for have something to do with the jewel? I'm beginning to think I'm cursed…

Suddenly, a few minutes later, I sensed a presence coming from the forest, and it was racing this way. I immediately released Kagome and told her to remain in the dojo as I grabbed for my sword once again. Of course, she protested my actions, but hey, I'm the only one to protect her, aint I?

Moments later, I leapt from the front porch and I was met with Koga once again. "Didn't you just leave hours ago?"

"Yeah, but something happened, right? I've come to find out why I'm sensing that energy I sensed from Kagome miles from here." He asked as he stared me down.

"That's none of your business, wolf. I suggest you just hit the road and forget you felt anything."

"Like I'm going to do that, you jerk. You did something to her, didn't you? Did you mate with her or something?"

"Why the hell would that cause you to feel her aura from miles away?" Damn, he's got a one-track mind, doesn't he?

"Didn't you know? Once you take the virginity of a priestess, or a woman with the gift, it becomes stronger?"

"Yes, I know that. That happened to Kikyo after we mated hundreds of years ago, but I assure you, I have not taken Kagome's virginity. I can't, she'll purify me in this form. On top of that, her aura still would not have become _that_ strong after mating."

"Ah, I see…you don't have the balls to grace her and allow her to turn you human to mate, eh?"

"You have no idea of the pain that causes me, you frickin moron. And even if I were to put myself through that, I wouldn't do it with her passed out from a concussion!"

"Is…she still…" his eyes were wide open in shock.

"No, but she was until just before you showed up, you moron."

"Then what's happened? There's something you're hiding from me, isn't there?" he began to step closer and I drew my sword.

"Don't come any closer, you ass hole! Kagome is no longer your concern, and I suggest you just turn around and head back to your pack where you belong!"

"Like I'm going to listen to you! Something's happened to Kagome, and I'm not leaving until you tell me!" Okay, now he's getting on my nerves…

"Fine…If that's the case, then I must ask you one question first." I closed my eyes and thought for just a moment, then gained the words. "Koga, if I tell you, can I trust that you would protect her rather than try to gain possession of her as you tried before?"

"Inuyasha, after what happened earlier, I will not fight you for her again. To be honest, I thought things over after I left earlier. I hurt her and was very reckless. That was the last thing I wanted to be in her presence. The competition with you over her affections caused me to be ugly throughout, and I have decided to change for her sake. I will not change the fact that I love Kagome, but I refuse to cause her anymore pain."

Now that was surprising. I actually reached him earlier…I honestly did not expect him to accept what I had said. I guess I can use his help after all. "Okay then, I will tell you what's happened, though I'm sure you will be angered by the circumstances. Koga, she and I realized something about her earlier. As she was unconscious, she had a vision. Do you know of the situation between Naraku and me centuries ago?"

"Yes, I do recall, although my tribe had nothing to do with it. All I remember was how much pain and chaos he caused everyone for a long time."

"Well, he was the cause of the death of my first love, Kikyo. She was the priestess who protected and purified the Shikon Jewel. Naraku killed Kikyo twice, and I was in the middle of the whole thing because he competed with me for Kikyo's heart. Well, he caused many people around me such horrible pain, including my brother Sesshomaru. Everyone I met along the way was harmed, or cursed by him in some way.

"Well, thanks to Kikyo, he was cast into oblivion at the cost of her own life after her resurrection. After she died later, we burned her on a pyre with the jewel, and it was finally cast from this world. However, it turns out that Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation."

"What? So, that's why you feel so drawn to her?"

"It goes deeper than that, Koga. Since the Shikon Jewel was burned with Kikyo's body, it came back with her soul within Kagome. The Shikon Jewel has returned in this world once again and that is the energy you're feeling, Koga."

"Now it makes sense, why I needed her so badly. How did you know about the jewel?"

"The vision she had told me so, and I had to remove it from her. That released the energy, and I fear it has awakened the demons in the area from dormancy, though we haven't had contact as of yet."

Suddenly, I heard a scream come from within the mansion. We both gasped at the sound and ran into the mansion to see if I was wrong at what I had just said. Please, please be safe Kagome…

I led Koga to the dojo where I had left her, and as we made our way, I sensed something odd. When I reached the doorway, I saw it. A demon spider about half the size of Kagome was steadily approaching her as she backed herself into the corner by the door. I leapt into the room and attacked with my claws, decimating the spider demon and Koga rushed to Kagome causing her to scream again.

"Kagome, it's okay, he's here to help us. He's not going to harm you, don't be afraid," I shouted as I walked to her.

"Oh, okay. Thank you Koga, I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't know you had changed your mind about the situation."

"No, I should be apologizing to you, Kagome. I'm sorry I was scaring you back then. I was just confused about what was going on between you and this mutt," he cracked a smirk at that comment as his gaze shifted towards me.

"Keh!" was all I let out as Kagome accepted his apology. Soon after another presence caught my attention and a figure I had not seen in centuries appeared in the doorway of the dojo. I growled at the sight of him as he stood there and looked at Kagome.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" I spat.

"Inuyasha, what have you done?" Sesshomaru asked as his 'faithful servant' appeared beside him scoffing at the situation.

"Why do you wanna know? Naraku no longer exists, so this doesn't concern you."

"It does if the countryside has once again become ridden with demonic energy. Whenever disaster occurs, it's usually due to something you've done, so I'm here to put you in your place."

"Tsch…It's not my fault, and never was. So just turn tail and walk away."

Sesshomaru said nothing as he crossed the room, grabbed me by the neck and raised my feet from the floor, while I choked and struggled. "You moron, you never do anything right, so I am here to make sure whatever you've done, you suffer the consequences of your actions."

'_Consequences? I was born… that's… enough… right?'_ I choked out and he punched me out cold.

* * *

(Kagome's POV)

"Stop it! Inuyasha!" I shouted as the demon dropped Inuyasha like a piece of garbage onto the floor. I reached his side and saw he was unconscious. "Why did you do this? He was protecting me before you came here!"

"You don't know my younger brother obviously. He screws everything up, and causes chaos everywhere he goes. Most of all the tragic happenings were caused by the situation with him. No matter what he does, or where he ends up, he takes his bad luck with him."

"You don't know him as I know him. He's protected me from so much, and has been very good to me. You have no right to interfere and relieve me of my protector." I stated. Strangely enough, no matter what I said, his expression never changed.

"Who are you, woman?" he asked.

"My name is Kagome. I am Kikyo's reincarnation."

"I see. That is why he's drawn to you. Pathetic. He's too much like our father, falling only for human women."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Man, what a jerk! What's wrong with me being human?

"Human's are worthless beings who can be cruel and have no regard for other beings such as myself. Not only that, but they are mortal and become worthless after a short time."

"I see, so in other words, since you're an immortal, you hate us?" heh, I bet he envies us, jealous jerk.

"I have no need for humans. Do you know anything about what has just happened?"

"The Jewel, it's the Shikon Jewel that has awakened the demons in the countryside. Inuyasha released me from the Jewel simply because it was causing me to become victim to many greedy men. That is why he is protecting me. However, now that the jewel is no longer inside me, he must protect me from demons seeking the jewel."

"I see. If it's the jewel causing this, then I will stand with him to protect the jewel. I know what chaos it can cause, and I refuse to allow such times to arise again."

Now that's shocking…I don't know much about this brother of Inuyasha's, but maybe he can be an asset…I guess we'll just have to see when Inuyasha awakens.

* * *

Well now, I felt this was a good place to end this one for now, seeing as his brother finally chose to come out of his cave. I have a feeling a lot will unfold here within the next few chapters, no telling what those happenings will entail. I'm just happy with where this storyline is going, since it seems much stronger and less confusing that it was in the beginning. Thanks again for your feedback, and I certainly hope this story continues to entertain as it unfolds :-D Well, 'till next time, Ja ne! 


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Wow, it certainly has been quite a while since I've found the time to work on this chapter. My mind had been going through some rough times with writer's block, and strangely enough, I had found that I was able to write a piece here and a piece there of this chapter. Of course, my daily work schedule and the stress I had gone through the past couple months took my mind off the good things in life, and brought me fear and worry more than any thing. Needless to say, it has been rough finding the time to write, however, I did find the time finally, and this chapter is the result. So, enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what ya think.

**Chapter 14**

Deep in the mountains, a cliffside cave shuddered as the jewel's energy pulsed far out to no man's land, about 100 miles out from the nearest metropolis of human civilization. The deep and wet cave growled uninvitingly as the darkness faded to light, revealing dense cave walls, marked from centuries of wear and harbor.

Deep inside the cave, a small cavern sectioned off from the main shaft radiated with a glow of energy as growling resonated from within. "It resurfaces, and so do I…"

* * *

That night, the three men and the woman chose rooms to reside in and went to their own devices. Sesshomaru chose his old bedroom chamber from back before his father's death, and Koga chose to keep watch in the tower for disturbances in the forest. Inuyasha chose to stay by Kagome's side, and stuck to the hall near her chamber. As he checked on the grounds before heading inside for the night, the older youkai stepped from his room and shot him a steady glare.

"Where are you headed, brother?" the elder youkai asked.

"It's none of your business. Go to sleep," Inuyasha griped, his gaze never leaving the floor before him.

"Are you going to spend the night with that woman? Have you chosen to walk the same path as our father?" the elder of the two inquired as he stepped from the door to his chamber and blocked Inuyasha's way.

"I said it's none of your business! Also, since you fled the house after Naraku was defeated, that automatically makes this mansion mine by default," Inuyasha recalled.

"And your point is?"

"I am taking care of the grounds now. So, you shouldn't worry about me, or where I am going." Inuyasha lifted his gaze as he continued with, "You are now a _guest_ in my house. Know you're place," the half demon commanded as he made to step around the obstacle in his way.

Sesshomaru's arm blocked him as he coldly spat, "You have no right to give me commands. What makes you think I will ever serve under you?"

"Wait, you thought you were invited back here? C'mon! I never sent for you! So just, go to your room, and shut up. I know what I'm doing, and I know what my priorities are," Inuyasha returned the cold sentiment as he shoved the arms away and continued down the hall to the woman's room.

"She will only leave you like your mother left you. When will you ever understand that humans were never meant to love beings such as us?" the eldest looked over his shoulder as he ground out a truth Inuyasha already understood.

"What do I care? I never asked her to fall into my lap. She just…did. You think I should walk away from her as you would. I'm sorry, but my conscience won't allow me to leave her side. And it's not my fault you haven't got one," Inuyasha retorted as he continued into the room and slid the door shut, leaving the elder youkai to his own thoughts.

'_You think you understand little brother? You obviously don't know me…_' Sesshomaru thought as he then indeed returned to his chamber and slid the shoji shut.

When the shoji shut to her room, Kagome gasped and turned from her dresser to see it was none other than Inuyasha, "You scared me. I thought it was your brother who entered. I have to admit, he gives me the creeps."

"Oh, no offense taken there," Inuyasha replied as he came to her side and sat down. "So, are you okay then?"

"Yes, I'm fine. What a crazy turn of events, don't you agree?" Kagome asked as he gaze lifted to his.

"Oh, you have no idea what a shocker it was to see Sesshomaru come back. I thought he was dead or something," Inuyasha replied as his gaze went to his hands in his lap.

"So, what's gonna happen now?" Kagome asked, gaining his attention once again.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what's up Sesshomaru's sleeve. All I do remember is that I've never been able to trust him. One thing I do know about him from stories mom told, was that his main goal was world conquest, as well as defeating father. However, since Setsuna no Takemaru killed our father, he missed his chance," Inuyasha explained. "For a long time, he was after Tetsussaiga, but then stopped his obsession with it when he realized that I would die without it."

"I see," Kagome replied.

"So, you see, the sword is much more valuable to me, than it ever could have been to Sesshomaru. The sword was never meant to be used for conquest, but only for protection and preservation of those weaker than its wielder," Inuyasha divulged.

Kagome snuggled up to him as cool air began to wisp past her skin as she asked, "What was your father like?"

"My father? I honestly don't know much. I've heard stories from my mother, but not enough to have a clue as to who he was. The only thing about him I was thankful for was that my mother said he was kind, and was nothing like my brother," Inuyasha explained as his arms embraced her, shielding her from the cold.

"And your mother, who was she exactly?" Kagome asked.

"She was a beautiful princess my father fell in love with. He came upon her as he wandered the countryside long ago. As he decided to cross through a forest, he came upon her castle, caught a glimpse of my mother playing a stringed instrument, and instantly fell in love. She said he stepped out from the tree line, into the gardens. She didn't know what to make of him at first, but she said she fell for him as quickly as he fell for her.

"According to mother, she had originally been betrothed to a prince named Setsuna no Takemaru, a man whom she had known very well for a long time. Since their families set up the decision for them to wed, she held no true love for him besides friendship and common interests. However, when my father made his presence known, her sudden desire for my father caused Setsuna no Takemaru to become jealous, and planned against them being together.

"Once he learned of their elevated affair, and my father's presence on the grounds in order to protect his pregnant lover who was about to give birth, Setsuna no Takemaru intruded on the grounds to kill us. When my father received word from Sesshomaru, he raced home to protect us, only to find her dead, as I laid crying in her arms," Inuyasha explained as his tone became more somber at each word.

"So, in other words, your father pulled a Koga," Kagome just couldn't resist.

"Shaddup!" Inuyasha spat as he turned his back from her.

"I'm sorry, I was only kidding," Kagome apologized.

"Well, it's not as if I'm defending my father's honor or anything. To be honest, I have no clue as to why my father fell for my mother," Inuyasha confided as he turned her way once again.

"I think you do," Kagome replied, gaining his full attention.

"How?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"Well, from how you speak of your father, and from the likes of Sesshomaru's cold disposition, you're more like your father and understand him more than you think. I mean, from what you said your mom had told you, he may have looked similar to Sesshomaru, but I'll bet you gained his heart if you've fallen for a human woman as he did," Kagome explained, as a look of shock developed on Inuyasha's face.

Mouth catching flies for a moment, he regained his composure when she began to giggle. "Stop laughing at me!" He commanded.

"I'm not! It's just, your reaction was priceless!" Kagome exclaimed. "I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with you, Inuyasha. I have great respect for your father and your mother. Your father was a demon of great stature, and righteousness, and your mother was obviously beautiful because you gain her looks once a month and I have to say, both your parents contributed something wonderful. You are a treasure, Inuyasha because of them."

The look on Inuyasha's face changed from priceless to somber as what she had just said sank in. He never thought about his parents in that light. The only parent he knew enough about to love was his mother. Even so, she left him at such a young age, that back then, he couldn't have begun to understand what beauty truly meant to him. At least until…Kikyo…

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she nudged him out of no-man's land.

"Huh?" he asked as he eyed her in question.

"I think your mind just took a vacation or something. Were you deep in thought?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, my mind took over for a moment." He shifted and looked upon her in a serious way as he continued, "Listen, I want to know something. With the turn of current events, and the fact that we now have two more males staying here with us, I would like to know your feelings on the matter."

"Well, a little uneasy since one of them has the hots for me, or something, and the other one just makes my skin crawl. I mean, his aura alone would give my stomach the butterflies, and that cold stare. I mean, there's no way a person could know what's up his sleeve," she explained as her arms wrapped around her torso, trying to seek stability.

"I completely understand. Would you like me to stay with you? Would you feel safer if I watched over you at night?" Inuyasha asked kindly.

"I would like that," she sighed in relief.

"Good, then it's settled. As long as you need me here, no one else can complain," he replied as he crossed his arms over his chest and gained an air of arrogance.

"Who's questioning?" Kagome asked.

"No one…" he sheepishly replied.

"Suuurrrre…I've heard that one before," Kagome goaded.

"Well, Sesshomaru thinks we're having a rendezvous in here or something, and tried to give me a lecture on how now is not the time for that…" he replied with irritation.

Kagome giggled again and came back with, "Now that would start a nice brawl between you and Koga, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, hell no! Even if he did try fighting me again, I would so not hold back! And even if I did have a bit of time with you, it aint none of his business!" Inuyasha spat.

"Not only that, but when would I even think of giving myself up to you while I fear for the future?" Kagome asked, with a tone of worry in her voice.

"I agree. My mind is the farthest from passion at this point. There's too much to pay attention to, with those two in this house with us. Not only that, but we have two other males here who have trained hearing abilities. No privacy if you know what I mean," Inuyasha brought up with a chuckle.

"Wow, a loud one are you?" Kagome asked sarcastically.

"What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed in shock.

"I said, you're loud, aren't you?" Kagome asked to goad him with a smirk.

"None of your business!" he shouted, crossing his arms and looking away from her. "We are so not having this conversation. That's too personal at this point."

"Okay, then how about this, how much longer do you think you could hold out? I mean, it's been centuries, hasn't it?" Kagome tried his patience further.

"Again, prying where you're not warranted," Inuyasha turned a mischievous look on her as he playfully stalked her, causing her to slink back. "You really love to try my patience, don't you?"

"Not really my aim, but each time I do this, you divulge more about yourself, and the answers I seek become clear," the cat was out of the bag…

Inuyasha eyed her for a moment, the mischievous look dissipated as his eyes turned serious. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. You're so blockheaded and secretive that you think you can stop me from learning your innermost thoughts and heart. You're wrong. Your body language and actions speak louder than any words you could ever form. Not only that, but each time I learn a bit more about you, the more I come to fall for you, Inuyasha. I'm sorry to deceive you like that, but this is the only way to break the ice with you," Kagome explained as she lowered her eyes to the floor between them as she used her finger to trace circles on the floor.

"Kagome, you have to understand. I've never been good with people, and worse at explaining my feelings and emotions. I would have thought you'd have learned to respect that about me, seeing as my actions speak louder than words," he ground out.

"Sorry, but I guess I'm a bit impatient since my soul needs you so much. I can't explain why, however, and I don't know how to continue if I can't learn more about you. It's as if there's something my soul is seeking without my permission," she explained, hoping that would smooth over her scrutiny.

"Kagome, you should know by now that I will explain things when needed…"

"Yes, but not when I need it, only when you're ready," Kagome retorted.

"And you can't respect that since these are my own personal thoughts that you can't leave well enough alone? Should I do the same to you? Would you like to know how this feels?" Inuyasha asked as he leaned in closer.

Kagome backed away as he pressed her up against the wall. "I want you to tell me what thoughts go through your mind. You are Kikyo's reincarnation after all. Tell me your feelings about being here with me, and don't lie. I want to see just as far into your afflicted soul as you have scoured into mine to know my deepest, darkest secrets."

The breath caught in Kagome's throat, as he loomed over her, eyes boring into that window she tried desperately to close off from him. Suddenly, his eyes closed as his forehead touched hers, and his aura enveloped her, causing her world to go blank all of a sudden.

'_What is this? Where am I?'_ she said into a world of nothingness. Suddenly, flashes of her memories shined in the darkness, and her mind's voice spoke the memorable thoughts from her most traumatic past, as well as the intimate moments she had with him. She broke down, eyes wide open as her heart broke from her depths and revealed every emotion experienced through it all down to her last thought the night they kissed in the tower.

'_His lips are so strong, and his aura surrounds me like a thick blanket of love and devotion. No man has ever made me feel this way. I think I…Have I…fallen? His touch brings me to life, unlike the touch I've experienced in the past. I believe this is the love I've been hoping to find…Inuyashaaaa….'_

"STOP IIIIIT!!!!" Kagome screamed as Inuyasha was thrown across the room once more only to hit the wall on the other side, cracking it.

The two panted heavily, their eyes staring off into space as their minds comprehended what had just happened. Suddenly, the shoji to the room slammed open, "What the hell just happened?"

Inuyasha's attention shot to the male who spoke, "Koga…" he panted.

"What were you just doing to her?!" Koga exclaimed as he crossed the room, grabbed Inuyasha by the hair and lifted his face to scrutinize his eyes.

"Koga, stop it!" Kagome shouted between pants.

"What was he doing to you, spit it out woman!" Koga commanded.

"He…he was…curious about me…that's all…" Kagome stumbled, obviously hiding something.

"I doubt that. Mutt, what were you thinking causing her such grief? Do you want her to use her energy and attract demons this way?" Koga asked.

"No…It was nothing like that. She pushed me, so I returned the favor," Inuyasha ground out, shooting a stern look her way.

"What do you mean by, pushed you?" Koga asked.

"She's interested in my innermost feelings. You know how women like to pry when they love someone. I can't explain it, but she's tried this many times. This was my way of showing her how fed up I was," Inuyasha replied, causing her to huff and step out of the room.

"God, you're a moron, Inuyasha. You are lucky enough to have her love and affection. Even though I love her enough to want to protect her just as much as you do, at least she returns your affections. Think about that, and I may just spare you from a nasty fight, you jack ass," Koga warned as he dropped Inuyasha's mane and followed Kagome from the room.

Inuyasha sat on the tatami and thought over what the wolf had just said. _'Am I really worthy of Kagome's heart? She has so willingly given it without thinking.' _"Keh…"

* * *

"Kagome!" Koga shouted as he followed her scent up the steps leading into the tower. When he reached the room, he saw her huddled in the corner beside the stairwell. "Kagome…Are you all right?" Koga asked as he knelt before her.

"Umhmm…" the girl hummed as she held her knees tightly.

"What did that mutt do to you? Tell me the truth, please Kagome," Koga asked once again, hoping that since the mutt was not with them, she'd open up.

"He read my mind, is what he did," she said shakily.

"Why would he do a thing like that?" Koga asked.

"In retaliation for all the prying I did to him the past few days," Kagome explained, as she finally looked Koga in the eye.

"I see…He didn't have to go that far," the wolf replied in concern.

"Well, I have seen his thoughts before actually, since I also have that ability for some strange reason. Therefore, I deserved it. It's just…I didn't think about how I would feel having it done to me…I guess I've learned my lesson," Kagome replied as her disposition became sullen and down.

"Kagome, one thing I have to say, and I hope you won't take offense to it. As far as Inuyasha goes, he doesn't consider others and how they feel. I would be careful around him if he's willing to go that far in retaliation," Koga replied, trying to sound comforting.

"Actually, he does consider others, more so than you think. It's just, when he loses his temper, and the chip on his shoulder shines through, the one agitating him must stand down, otherwise, they'll feel his wrath. I'm not one who slinks away when I'm feeling confident. I just haven't learned not to push his buttons too badly yet is all," Kagome shrugged.

"Maybe so, however, if he pulls that attitude on you again, then don't stop me from holding back. No matter who he thinks he is, Inuyasha is not as righteous as he sports himself to be if he's gonna do things like this," Koga explained.

"Please, leave me be for now. I'm all right now. Thanks for your reassurances, Koga. I'm glad we've come to a truce with you. You don't seem to be as bad a guy as I thought," Kagome let out finally.

"I need to know, Kagome. What caused you to think of me as a possessive man who was only after one thing?" Koga pried.

"I'm sorry, Koga, but I'm not in the position right now to explain why. Believe me, it was tough when I explained my past to Inuyasha, and I can't relive it at the moment. I'll tell you when I'm able," Kagome sunk back into herself just at the mention of those thoughts, and Koga read the body language.

"All right, I'll leave you be. If you need me, I'll be in the dojo working off some frustration," Koga replied as he stood and descended from the room.

'_My innermost thoughts…Inuyasha now knows them. I wonder how he feels about me now. Will he love me more? What was that look on his face he gave after seeing my thoughts? Was it shock? Fear? I wonder if he'll talk to me again…'_ Kagome thought as she continued to try to calm herself down as the breeze sailed through the windows, calming her fears, carrying the relaxing sounds of the forest to her ears. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on those sounds as she gained a smile to her face.

* * *

(Inuyasha's POV)

What I saw…What I heard…I could not believe how she felt about all those intimate times. Men truly did assault her in the past. Right now, I feel no different from those men; however, I don't want to hurt her as they did, obviously.

_(Sigh)_ Those men are different from me in the sense that I have fallen for her, but I haven't forced myself on her, have I? I mean…Aw, shit…I shouldn't go anywhere near her for a while. She's probably scared of me now. I should not have pried into her past. I honestly didn't expect to see all that. Why did I? Does she think that much about those horrible memories that they remain in the forefront of her mind?

As I thought a bit more about it, the images and sounds played through my mind as if I was there, and I grabbed my head and grunted in pain and fear…A moment later, a tear had squeezed from my eye. I grit my teeth and punched the floor in anger. Kagome, how could anyone do that to you? I know I never could, not even while the jewel was still inside you.

That's it…I shall never let another human near her or the jewel. Humans are so weak, and easily tainted by the jewel's power. That's more than likely what caused those events. The aura she emitted swayed the men to become wicked and unfeeling towards their actions. I am only half-human, and what I don't understand, is why didn't I feel the need to ravage her during that night as a human on the plane?

That night, I was just an ordinary human, with ordinary human male emotions. What caused me to act differently? I turned my gaze towards the dresser where I had seen her hide the jewel. I stepped to the dresser and pulled the drawer open. The energy compelled me as it's aura came into contact with mine. I reached out and grasped the jewel in my hand as I looked upon it.

"What did you do to her? To me? I hate you, you know that? Why won't you just disappear from existence? I thought that once Kikyo used your energy to cast Naraku into oblivion, that you'd either cease to exist, or that you'd become so pure that you'd lose value. Why did you return? What is the reason?" I asked the omen charm as it glowed slightly at my request.

The aura changed slightly, and I suddenly found myself cast into darkness, just as I had been while reading Kagome's memories. I eyed the darkness around me 'til I saw an image pop up before me. "Kikyo…"

* * *

Kagome left the tower a bit later, and decided to go to grab something to drink from the kitchen to quench her thirst. Suddenly, she stopped before her room, sensing something odd. She turned to see a slight glow within, and slid the door open to see Inuyasha sitting before her dresser, the faint pink glow emitting before him.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing?" Kagome asked. When he did not move or answer her call, she stepped into the room towards him. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

She reached out and touched his shoulder; the muscles ridged and taught at her touch. She leaned forward to look upon his face, only to see his eyes unfocused and open widely. She gasped as she exclaimed, "Inuyasha!"

She shook him, and the jewel rolled from the palm of his hand. However, the jewel continued to glow, as his face remained unchanged. She knelt down, touched her forehead to his and concentrated. She tried hard to reach him, wherever the jewel had taken his soul to. To her dismay, she was forced away from him as a barrier formed around him where he sat. "Inuyasha!"

* * *

(Inuyasha's POV)

I panicked at the sight revealed to me. Naraku tore at Kikyo's soul as he tried to take her to hell with him. Her screams infuriated me as vestiges of her soul became exposed and she lost strength through it all. The images were horrific. I closed my eyes as I shouted her name, and the sounds ended. I opened my eyes once again to see her body on the pyre, the people from the village as they surrounded her body.

I remembered this; on that night, I was the one to light her body afire. As difficult as it was to do so, I cried my first tears since my mother's death that day. I stood 'til the fire went out at her side. It was difficult to move on since that night. Just seeing these images again caused those very same tears to fall once again. "Kikyo…"

Darkness enveloped me once again for a moment, and then another image lit before me. It was the jewel itself, and an image appeared behind the jewel…A demon I believe. A laugh was heard that filled my ears as I flattened them against my head to muffle the harsh sound. The face was not one I recognized at all from my past. Who is that? Then suddenly, the image of Kagome lying lifeless upon a pyre appeared.

A moment later, darkness fell once again, and I heard Kagome's voice. "Inuyasha!" I opened my eyes to see the jewel had fallen from my hand, and she had shaken me from my mind.

"Kagome…What're you…" then it hit me, the jewel had taken my soul out of my body, into itself. I looked down to see the jewel on the floor beside Kagome's leg, glowing no longer.

"What happened to you? I could not get through to you. The jewel was glowing and you were unconscious. Are you all right?" she asked in a panic.

"I'm fine. Kagome, I saw an image inside the jewel. I think there's another demon that needs to be vanquished," I mentioned.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I think I know the jewel's purpose for existing once again in this world. It exists to cast demons into oblivion, and it knows its next target," I explained. It was finally beginning to make sense to me now.

"The jewel has a purpose? It makes decisions on its own now?" Kagome asked.

"No, not lightly. I believe it is now tied to Kikyo's soul since she died using it, and it was also burned with her body. The jewel has become a part of her soul, just as it was the original miko's soul. What this means, is no matter what, Kikyo is the one cursed by the jewel, not me," I figured it out! And this is even worse than I would have imagined.

"You mean, I was born with this jewel inside me because I am Kikyo's reincarnation, and if I died and I am reincarnated, the next time the jewel will appear again?" she asked a valid question.

"To be honest, I'm not sure about that circumstance. However, what this all means, is you are the tool the jewel requests to use to cast this demon into oblivion, just as Naraku was long ago. The jewel requests that you sacrifice yourself for a noble cause…To save this world from a malevolent being…Shit…" I can't believe I coveted this piece of shit! NO! Not Kagome, there has to be another way!

"You mean I'm not to survive this? I'm to die to save the world?" At that question, I turned sullen eyes to her, causing tears to flow over the damn.

"Kagome…I would have never asked such a thing of you. However, the priestess within the jewel, Midoriko, has asked for your help in performing this task. I don't think I could help you, and I wish things could be different. The last thing I'd ever want to do is lose you like I lost Kikyo!"

I broke down just as a familiar voice sounded from the doorway across the room, "what's going on in here? Are you fighting again, brother?"

I turned my wet eyes towards the bane of indifference and replied with, "I know what's going on now. The jewel just revealed its purpose to me. Kagome is to be sacrificed by the jewel to banish a new enemy into oblivion, just as Kikyo was centuries ago."

"But Inuyasha, will I surely die performing this task?" she asked, regaining my full attention.

"Kagome, casting a demon into oblivion takes the entirety of a priestess's spiritual energy. Your soul is the catalyst for such a task. I remember Kikyo telling me about this before she took on Naraku herself for the last time. She assured me she would do whatever she could to hold on to life. However, she lost the battle just as the jewel sucked the life out of her, and Naraku disintegrated in the white light that enveloped them, leaving Kikyo's soulless body behind.

"I can not bear to go through that again…Damn it!" I was so pissed now that nothing could soothe my soul after this turn of events.

"What will you do then, brother? It's obvious, Kagome has little time left. Will you spend time with her? Or will you allow her to be sacrificed without having lived fully?" I turned a shocked look his way.

"I-I…" I couldn't say it. Yes, I would want to be with her before that situation came about, but I…

"Inuyasha…I don't want to leave you, I don't! Why couldn't I have been given a choice? Why me?" she cried out.

I looked to her, casting afflicted eyes her way, causing her to cover her eyes as the damn broke completely. I reached for her, and held her tightly as I tried to say comforting words while my tears soaked her hair. While I held her, nothing else mattered. I could only think to live in the moment. The future was not an option for me. I could not move on, and the embrace seemed to last forever… '_Kagome_….'

* * *

Wow…just, wow…I don't know what to say, other than I guess we now have an idea of where this fic is going to go…I didn't expect the jewel to request that, and I am looking forward to the next chapter, with this in the works. I certainly hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to let me know what you think. Until next time, Ja ne! 


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Hey, everyone! Well, I have come up with a few scenes to continue this story further, as well as the knowledge that this fic will be wrapping up soon. Don't worry, there are still a few chapters left, so it's not over yet (snorts). Enjoy! And remember, feel free to let me know what ya think.

**Chapter 15**

(Inuyasha's POV)

I sway as I hold Kagome to me, my heart burning with fear. The jewel asked the impossible of Kagome, someone so innocent who had nothing to do with all this to begin with. When I came to watch over her, I did feel a pull towards her, assuredly. However, to see her as someone expendable is something I could never do.

Holding her in my arms, she feels so warm against me, her aura hurts as her soul shivers in fear. How does a man such as me calm those fears? What's sad about all this, is it's not really my problem per say, but could I allow another woman I've fallen for be sacrificed for this jewel's selfishness?

NO! I cannot! As I hold her ever so much tighter, my teeth clench and grind in frustration. After a few moments, my jaw slacks, and I pant and grunt as my tears fall heavier than ever. "Kagome...why?"

"Inuyasha..." I let my grip on her loosen as we both look into each other's eyes.

This feeling...I've felt this before...Suddenly, before I knew it, my lips started caressing hers as a sigh flows from my nostrils, causing my body to feel relief from holding my breath for longer than I could remember. Her taste unleashes something inside me as I lower her back to the floor, while our lips suckle each other's, and my body expresses deep need for her.

This feels right, strangely, as if we are meant to do this...Be together completely...

(Kagome's POV)

Is this really happening? Is this true? And I dreaming this? I'm not sure if I want to wake up, but for him to...Oh, Gods...Is this it? He makes me feel so good...His kisses are wonderful, and I feel shivers through my entire being...Is this...Love? He's atop of me again, only this time, I can't bring myself to push him away. I can only hold him closer as he continues to kiss me deeply.

Even the kisses I had experienced with him before were nothing like these. These are full of something unfamiliar to me. Oh, how good he tastes, how he's causing my soul to awaken...Is this how a man is to treat a woman? Being only a victim in the past, I've never experienced love from a man, only lust, betrayal, and assault. He touches me so tenderly, and his kisses are full of meaning. This is a completely new language he's teaching me; a language of passion.

Oh, Inuyasha...I can only hope these feelings, these moments never end...Please...love me. Show me who you are. I want to know all of you...And I will show you all you've been curious about since we met on the plane that day…

* * *

Sesshomaru knew what was to happen next. Seeing his half brother holding that woman caused him to realize his presence would not be welcome in the room that night. 

The eldest of the demons quietly made his way to the dojo, where the wolf worked out his frustrations over Inuyasha. Good thing too, knowing that if Koga heard the words he'd said, the wolf would possibly blow his top. Sesshomaru sensed the affliction within Koga's demeanor over the relationship of the woman and his brother. Just the wolf's attitude gave away the situation plainly.

The moment Sesshomaru slid the shoji open to enter, the wolf landed from a flip with his back facing the Taiyoukai. "What do you want? I had that shoji closed for privacy."

"There is something you must know about," Sesshomaru stated calmly.

"And what's that?" the wolf asked as he stood and wiped his hand across his brow.

"Inuyasha figured out what is really happening with Kagome and the Jewel. Turns out the situation is worse than we all thought," the demon brought up as he crossed the dojo floor to sit before the wolf calmly.

"Tell me, what is happening," he asked as he suddenly caught a sound which drifted in from the hall through the paper-thin doors. "What the?!"

"Stay, Koga. Do not interfere," Sesshomaru warned with the coldest of eyes as the sounds of love wafted in from the same venue.

"But he…"

"Yes, and there is a reason for it. Sit down before I am forced to cut you down, wolf," Sesshomaru revealed his readied talons as poison flowed from the tips of his nails.

Koga's ears retching over the grunts emanating from his archrival, swallowed his pride and sat before the eldest of them all with a dissatisfied look on his face. "Good. Listen, Inuyasha just had visions from the jewel itself. Koga, there is a purpose that none of us could have comprehended on our own for both Kagome and the jewel."

"Wait, I thought Kagome was freed from the jewel," Koga mentioned.

"Apparently not. You see, there is a new target the jewel itself has chosen. Unfortunately for Kagome, she has been chosen as the jewel's next sacrifice."

Koga's eyes flared with anger as a growl formed in his chest over the news. "You've got to be kidding! Why Kagome?"

"Simply because of her ancestor, Kikyo. She is the reincarnation of the ex lover of my younger half brother, Inuyasha. Kikyo was the priestess who guarded the jewel 500 years ago. Kagome was born with the jewel within her. Now, she must fulfill the same fate as Kikyo, and be the next sacrifice to vanquish a new evil," Sesshomaru explained as his eyes pierced the wolf's, holding his chi at bay.

"No…This can't be…Kagome…" Koga sighed in fear. Everything was beginning to make sense for Koga now. His actions towards her, his loss of self-control, and why he was no longer craving her touch, or her scent…All because he had been a victim to the jewel's aura and power within her.

"Inuyasha told me he has seen the vision of this new enemy. I do not know what the beast is, where it lies, or what it's motivation is, but there is an enemy much greater than Naraku out there today, and the jewel has called Kagome to duty through the vision it instilled with Inuyasha. What we must do, is watch over the grounds for now as he shelters her within. Once we get the information from Inuyasha, I will set out to find this nemesis," Sesshomaru suggested.

"I will go with you," Koga threw out with pride.

"No, Inuyasha will need your help here as he protects Kagome and the jewel within the mansion. I should be enough to slow this demon down enough for the likes of you two. We're going to see if we can spare Kagome's existence," the eldest of the two explained.

"But…How are we going to do this? It's just the three of us!" Koga exclaimed.

"I am not as weak as the two of you. I shall see what can be done to vanquish the demon before he reaches this mansion. You two shall lend your strength to the cause in stopping the jewel from taking Kagome with it."

"I have a question," Koga asked, gaining a nod from the Taiyoukai. "Why are you standing up for Kagome? You barely even know her."

"Because, as I've said when I arrived here, I am Lord of the West. It is my duty to keep the peace during these times in our nation's history. The last thing I care about is what happens with Kagome herself. The countryside, however, would be in ruins if we lost, and the jewel was able to use it's amazing power, causing chaos among the once dormant demons who've been hiding in the back forest areas all these centuries."

Sesshomaru continued as his eyes shut to remember scenes, "The last time this happened, the entire island was covered in a powerful aura which caused every malevolent being to congregate to one area, where the banishing was taking place. Once the ritual of banishment was completed, a large amount of energy boomed from the epicenter and caused chaos to arise from every spirit being within miles. Many humans lost their lives within 24 hours.

"I know of this because I was the one to calm their unrest by slaying a great number of them," Sesshomaru opened his eyes to look upon Koga. "Inuyasha was unaware of the events around him due to being so close to the epicenter as grief devoured his conscience, while the demons around him devoured the energy that was unable to affect his heart. I pulled him away from the onslaught and brought him to the farthest reaches of the island as he wallowed in grief."

"So, does he have any knowledge of what's about to happen?" Koga asked in curiosity.

"In a way he does. However, he made his way back to the village himself not long after to find Kikyo's body ready for the funeral. Not seeing me from that day 'til I arrived here hours ago, he thought I had died in the chaos that fateful day. It was just as well, seeing as we never got along to begin with," the Taiyoukai finished.

"Okay then. I will help in this as you have asked, since you know more about this than either of us, obviously. But I can't take this anymore, knowing what's going on in the next room. You can stay if you want, but I'm heading out into the forest!" Koga stated as he leapt from the dojo and disappeared into the night.

Sesshomaru's eyes closed as the sounds of escalating passion echoed to his ears. _'Enjoy this night, Inuyasha, for the enemy won't wait long to find the treasure even you sought 500 years ago.'_

* * *

(Inuyasha's POV) 

Gods, the feel of her…I felt as if I was reliving my past with Kikyo as the climax hit me. During those intense moments, all I could think about was that I had badly missed a woman's presence all this time.

Laying down beside her, and cradling her sweat-laden body to mine, I feel so complete. I hadn't made love to a woman such as her for centuries, and I obviously hadn't lost my skills.

As her head laid upon my right arm, panting heavily, my arms protect her as I look upon her. Her eyes are closed, and relaxed, while her bangs are plastered to her forehead. I gently part them to see her eyebrows as they rest with the lines of her face. She is much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined her to be. At this moment, her face outshines the face of an angel to me.

This woman has become so important to me in such a short time. I have been so restless over her, and now that I know why, I could never imagine losing this woman. Fate continues to bring this soul into my life, and my heart longs for her no matter how hard I try to remain hidden.

Nothing I could have done or said would have stopped fate from bringing her into my life, or my heart. Even though I fought it for so long, I am glad I lost that battle once again. Only this time, I have nothing to fear from Kagome, as I had from Kikyo long ago in the beginning. That jewel, however…If there is a way to destroy it, I won't hesitate to act.

My anger for the piece of shit just grows each moment I live through. My hatred for that jewel has grown ever since I cut it from Kagome's flesh. I had hoped I would never hear of or see that omen again, but that obviously was not a choice for me.

At that thought, I look at the woman in my arms and kiss her forehead as I say, "I love you, Kagome."

"I love you too, Inuyasha," she says with the most beautiful voice I've ever heard my name said.

I smile as I cradle her head against my naked chest protectively, swaying to comfort her as my left arm pulls the covers over our naked bodies. The next few moments find us lying comfortably within each other's comforting auras, and finally letting sleep take us.

* * *

Koga found his perch about a mile out from the mansion, where passion thrived. The relationship between those two bothered Koga to no end. The fact that the mutt was gaining all the luck in the world, caused him to feel as if he'd be better off walking away. Least that was what his selfish mind said. When it came to his heart, however, he could not walk away from a woman in distress. Just the thought of turning his back on such a creature made his heart sink. 

And the developments Sesshomaru mentioned, he began to feel shivers up his spine at what can happen if they aren't strong enough. And to think, a woman such as Kagome existed back in the feudal era? Why wasn't he made aware of it all? And that Naraku beast…He did hear of him from the Northern Tribes of his kind, but when they had been able to offer help, their comrades in the north had all been wiped out by Naraku's lesser demons.

They were lucky to avoid such a fate, but that didn't stop Koga from the anger he wanted to inflict upon that beast. But as fate would have it, his tribe was always a step behind, and missed their chance to avenge their comrades. They did remember feeling something major during the events Sesshomaru recounted, but his people ran, sensing trouble at that point, and fled to the mainland to avoid extinction.

Preservation of their species was the main concern through every era. Now that the tribes had been nearly wiped out by various different means, including old age, Koga, Ginta and Hakaku are now the last of the wolf demon tribes, which thrived during the feudal era.

Of course, preservation remains the soul purpose in his heart to find a mate, but he would never force a woman, let alone a female wolf, to mate with him to keep his species going. Since wolves mate for life, he wanted his mate to feel the same.

This time, he decided to leave Kagome in Inuyasha's hands in that regard. But that didn't mean he was willing to be around when they chose to mate…The thought caused him to shudder and the branch he stood on to shake it's leaves loose.

* * *

(Kagome's POV) 

We did it, we made love. That was the most comforting and wonderful experience in my life. Just when I thought my life was over, Inuyasha gave me a reason to continue. He finally opened his life to me. I now know how he's felt for me this whole time. I'm so glad he finally opened up and let me in.

His heart is so beautiful under that harsh exterior. The front he put up whenever I wanted to get close was false. I knew that, but to know him fully, he is the most beautiful being I could have ever experienced life with. The way he held me close, the way he loved me fully, and his touch were gifts to my heart.

Before him, I never knew what true love was, or how a true man loves a woman. Now I know, and I don't believe I could ever leave him. If only there was a way my life force could fuse with his somehow, and I'd be able to remain with him, forever…That would be the greatest gift I could ever receive.

Please, Kami…Make this work somehow. Protect us from the fate, which the jewel has seemingly bestowed upon us. We could not bear to be separated again. Hear me now, and consider our hearts. Oh, Inuyasha…Thank you for your heart and soul. They are beautiful and calming to me. I hope mine fulfill you the same. For you are worth more than I could ever be.

* * *

Well, yeah this one was short, but something significant happened here, which will play a major part later on, I promise you that. So, thank you for waiting patiently, and I hope to have another chapter ready for you soon, since this story is about to pick up the pace a bit. So, 'til next time, ja ne! 


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Wow, it certainly has been months since I started working on this chapter. The reason for the huge time gap is I decided to go back through the previous chapters and decided to do some significant editing. A while back, I was flamed for various different mistakes I'd posted in the previous chapters, and I was spurred to look to see what I could do to improve the Avoidance experience. I did in fact find some mistakes in the back-story, which caused problems with the plot, and the flow of the chapters. So, once I notify everyone that I've updated them, and you decide to re-read it all over again, feel free.

Now, with the entrance of the new enemy, Inuyasha and Kagome's lemony experiences and the jewel's purpose revealed, the rest of this story will flow like melted ice cream dripping down your cone on a hot summer day.

**Adult Content Alert!**

**Chapter 16-Avoidance**

In the cool night breeze, minions of a strong demon searched the countryside, weaving their astral bodies through the trees of the forest, sailing between houses, and flying above the humans on the streets of Tokyo as they scryed for the energy their master was searching for.

This strong demon was the last incarnation of Naraku, which weakened him significantly, and caused his own demise before the jewel left the world. Naraku left Shimarayama behind and instructed him to remain dormant until the jewel resurfaced.

Shimarayama was tall, resided in a humanoid form with long white hair with ice blue highlights that shimmer in the sun. Red eyes lie beneath his brow and his smile non-existent. Long sinewy arms dropped low beside his lengthy torso while draped in a midnight blue silk kimono with a blood red sash, and his hands fixed with talons, and strong fingers, which could crush a spine at the neck with the slightest squeeze.

When Naraku instructed him to lay dormant in case something should happen to the jewel, Shimarayama was more than willing to go after the pestering Hanyou. After he'd heard the story of how that ingrate continued to best his creator, it was hard for him to respect his master's wishes.

However, Naraku restrained Shimarayama, and put him into a dormant comatose state just before the last fight with Kikyo, the priestess who opposed him since day one. The day Naraku foretold his fate; Shimarayama began his century long sleep, deep in a cave high in the mountains as he held a grudge that would last for just as long.

As he sat up on his pedestal, he sensed the foretold energy, which caused a smile to spread across his chiseled face for the first time ever as torture options he wished to inflict upon the very Hanyou who opposed Naraku popped into his mind.

Just then, one of his underlings approached through the opening of the cave. "I found it, my Lord," the underling exclaimed excitedly.

"Where is it?" the master asked with interest.

"Deep in the forest, which lies just outside a large city, I believe, is now called Tokyo, there lies a mansion secluded, and merely empty, save for a select few. Two demons keep watch as a human and a lesser demon reside in an inner chamber, in the throws of absolute passion. There, my Lord, the jewel lies; protected by a young human girl who may possess spiritual powers. Faint though they are, she is protected by the one you seek; the one lesser demon your master fought in the war over the jewel."

"I see. Did you learn of the names of the two demons keeping watch?"

"No my Lord, but we were chased by one of them. As I broke off in flight, he continued to chase my partner into the city. The demon was tall, had long silver hair, only one arm, and wore a white kimono splashed with red at the shoulder, as a cloak of white fur drapes over his shoulder. The other stood by, unaware of our position, sniffing about like a wolf. However, his eyes never caught us."

"Sounds like the ones Naraku spoke of: Sesshomaru was another emissary, as was Koga of the Wolf tribe. Inuyasha is the lesser demon, younger half brother to Sesshomaru of the dog demon clan. I suggest you send a scout to watch over the mansion, in case anything suspicious occurs," the Lord instructed. The underling bowed and made his way to the rest of the underlings to give the word.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, two sweat-laden bodies fell to the futon from exertion. A moment later, Kagome lazily reached her right arm across his body and closed her eyes tiredly with a moan. Her right leg snaked across Inuyasha's sweaty, muscular abdomen, as he lay motionless and panted loudly.

(Inuyasha's POV)

That was the last internal embrace from Kagome. I was deeply lost in bliss inside her; the warmest place I could have ever retreated to. It had been centuries since I'd had the comforting embrace of a willing woman. All through the lovemaking, my soul did not want the friction to end, but my body on the inside went as dry as my mouth and throat from breathing heavily for so long.

I looked at Kagome as she snuggled into my wet torso and used me as a pillow; caressing my body with her arm, leg and breasts as she moaned erotically. Her disposition brought a smile to my face as I laid my right arm across her back to press her lovely body to mine.

At this point, nothing could piss me off; not even a nasty comment from Sesshomaru. I had spent so much testosterone that nothing mattered to me but the present moment. I sighed happily and closed my eyes once again as Kagome seemed to fall asleep. For once in my life, I felt I could join her.

Suddenly thoughts rolled into my head; memories from centuries ago with Kikyo. I relaxed and sifted through them, only to realize a part of me still missed her and those nights she lusted for my touch. On those nights, she left me just as Kagome had tonight, spent in many ways, and too tired to continue. However, I also came across a major difference between the two women: Kikyo was more aggressive during sex as she dictated what I should do, whereas Kagome was timid and accepted the positions I guided her through; definitely polar opposites.

Completely sapped of my mixture, I decided this was how I wanted to spend my time; wrapped lovingly in the woman who stole my heart. With how she felt tonight, I would willingly engage with her each night if she wished it. She had finally helped me to love fully again, a feat I believed no woman could ever achieve once Kikyo died.

Silence finally filled the room as I relaxed even more and lifted my left arm to embrace her as well. Her left hand snaked under my neck, and then her arm to embrace me further as her left leg slid close to my right leg, and her toes caressed my calf. I certainly welcomed the loving embrace after our love heated up the room around us. Only thing I missed was doing this out in the opening in the forest, where the light breeze could caress our bodies as we embraced afterwards. However, in the present era of Tokyo, that's considered indecent exposure. Keh! Who the hell cares? There's nothing like loving each other out in the open, as the heady scents of nature caress the senses. In the past, that was one thing I reveled in. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss that aspect of the Feudal Era.

I opened my eyes, looked at the slumbering goddess upon me and wondered if tonight was how she'd hope sex with a man would be like. True loving from a man with good intentions was one gift I felt she deserved more than anything. Damn, now I know I'm definitely thinking like a girl…

At that thought, I decided to shut off my mind and let my brain go for once as I slowly transformed back to my usual self while I regained my energy.

* * *

(Kouga's POV)

Damn, they finally stopped. Talk about uncomfortable; I stayed away for a few hours and came back to hearing those two still going at it, which wracked my senses; my nose, ears and my mind. However, even after this, I still feel the same about Kagome. After everything that jewel caused me to feel towards her, I don't think I could give up completely. Only things that stopped me from busting the two of them up were the jerk next to me, knowing his weakness for his brother he will never admit to, and hearing her moans of pure ecstasy. I can be a jerk, but not when a woman isn't mistreated.

I know when not to butt in; but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy hearing it. As long as the mutt face doesn't mistreat her, I'll stay out of the way, but in silent protest. I wouldn't have left Kagome to Inuyasha that night I fought him if she hadn't clinged to him with a look of fear in her eyes as they watched me across the room. Also, since she was hurt for my ignorance and animosity, I felt I needed to back off.

However, I still believe I could be more to her than that stupid jerk that treated her like absolute shit in the beginning. I saw it all. Each month, he opened his frickin mouth to say nothing kind her way. Honestly, I never really understood what caused his stupid ass to treat a woman like crap. This calls for a civil confrontation between Inu-trash-a and me.

"You; don't you get any ideas. If you so much as lay a hand on my brother and his woman, I'll kill you," I turned my attention to the slithering jerk beside me to see his intense eyes drilling into my very mind, as if he could read my intentions.

"Tsch, as if. I know where my boundaries lie. I'm here to protect Kagome, and nothing more." Man, the mutt's brother is more of an asshole than he is!

"If I find that you're lying to me, then you will join Naraku sooner than you think, wolf cub." Yeah, right. Whatever makes ya feel important, dude.

"Whatever, Dog Lord. I'm gonna walk to another side of the mansion to keep an eye where you're not." I then turned the opposite direction through the Dojo. A few moments later, I slid the shoji open to catch a breeze, as well as an unfamiliar scent. It was faint, however, my instincts spelled out trouble in the outer lying forest.

Soon after, I heard sniffing from the spot across the dojo where I left jerk number two. Suddenly, before I could react, he was at my side, eying the same group of trees. "What is that?" he asked aloud as he leapt over the step below and into the trees about twenty feet away.

"I guess I'd better warn the mutt and Kagome," I said aloud and dashed towards the innermost chamber. After a few moments of running, I reached the shoji, stopping to wretch at the smell emanating from within. I knocked and listened to rapid rustling.

"Kouga, what are you doing here?" the mutt exclaimed, probably grabbing for his hakama.

"Something's out there, in the forest. I have a feeling something's spying on us, and knows we're here."

The door slid open abruptly to a half naked hanyou, his long hair tangled and matted, his face laced with dripping sweat. "Well, did you do anything about it?"

I eyed him in disgust and looked away. "Actually, Sesshomaru is already in pursuit. I felt it wise to get you out of the land of bliss to let you know we might be in danger."

"All right. Give Kagome and I a few minutes, and we'll be right there. The Dojo, right?" He shocked me there…

"Yeah. And get some clothes on! You reek!" I spat as I slammed the shoji shut and then returned to where Sesshomaru leapt into the forest.

The scent I caught before the putrid essence of sex hit my nose is now far off. Damn it! Did Sesshomaru get him? A couple moments later, Inuyasha rushed to my side and asked me which direction his asshole of a brother went and I pointed. He turned to me and shocked me again. "Stay here and watch over Kagome. Nothing must happen to her, you got that? If she's harmed in any way when I get back, then I will slit your throat, Wolf!"

"Just go! We'll be fine here!" I spat as I shoved him off the porch. He growled and raised his fist at me.

"Inuyasha, I'll be fine. Go find the spy!" Kagome urged him, just enough a distraction to set him running with heroic promises. _'Oh, I swear I'll kill it for you, my dear love!'_ type shit. All he left out was something along the lines of 'snuggley-poo'. Makes my skin crawl…

After those annoying thoughts, all I could muster was to get her back into that wretched chamber with me to guard her and the jewel. I had some instinctual sense that the jewel was somehow involved. Since I once heard about how the jewel was used to better a situation years ago before Naraku's banishment; I know well enough that ball was not safe. "C'mon, Kagome! We have to get back to your room!"

"Why?"

"Because, we need to protect the jewel! There are demons after it!" I exclaimed as we reached the rank confines of that overused room. I set her inside, and then ran to grab some candles. I set them ablaze in order to cloak the smell from any passing demons who may know of the location due to the scent.

Finally, once the candle cloaked the room's scent, I sat down beside Kagome quietly, as I quietly stared at the wall before us. "Kouga, I'm sorry."

I turned to eye her. "Huh? For what?"

"About earlier, me and Inuyasha…ya know…" She shyly turned her gaze away. "I mean, I can't help but be with him. I hope you understand, Kouga. Even though he was crude towards me in the beginning, I came to understand why he treated me that way."

"Tell me," I requested, catching her gaze once again.

"Kouga, he said he tried to keep people out of his life, on purpose. Due to his immortality and identity, he couldn't allow anyone to get close. Of course, little did he know those actions actually caught my attention, and caused me to want to be near him. He didn't expect to fall for me, and I didn't realize I had fallen until things got intense for us. That night you and Inuyasha fought over me with your comrades, I felt so protected and loved in his embrace.

"You see, what I want you to understand is that he showed me chivalry I didn't know still existed, and I wished he'd come into my life much sooner. My life wasn't a bowl of cherries in the least, Kouga. Men have sexually assaulted me all my life, probably all due to the jewel. Inuyasha was the first man to not want me that way."

My eyes widened at that testimony. As she continued, I felt remorse for the fearful events I put her through. I felt ashamed of my past actions, and hung my head as she told me of her innermost secrets. Her story stopped in a gasp when my fisted hand slammed into the floor. "Kagome…I want to apologize for being such a beast to you all that time. I swear to you tonight that I am here to protect you, and nothing more. I may have ruined any safe thoughts of me in your eyes with my wild nature, but I promise to keep you safe from harm while in my presence, from now on."

That truly was the best I could offer Kagome. Even though I felt she deserved more than that, my words could never make up for the horrid acts my instinctual nature caused me to do to her. In that room, I did what I could to make her feel safe with me as the other two hunted down the riff raff.

* * *

(Inuyasha's POV)

How far could the spy have gotten? It seemed as if I'd been chasing it's scent forever when I reached the backyard of a residential house lining the outermost street close to the shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo. Sesshomaru chased the perp this far?

I sat in a tree and cloaked my features, and then leapt into action; running through the crowds in the streets. Following the two scents, I found myself dodging cars and people through the commercialized part of Tokyo. So far, I hadn't lost the scents, but it seemed as if I could end up losing the lead fairly soon.

I kept an eye out for anything or anyone unusual when I caught a hint of silver and a flash of red off to my right. I turned and dashed for the unusual colors and ended up shoving people out of my way. The two headed off down a dark alleyway. I ran for a distance, carefully rounding each corner until I looked around the last corner to see Sesshomaru's back as an unfamiliar raspy voice spoke.

I quietly snuck along the wall to get a better look at the situation. Suddenly, a step caught my brother's ear, and his gaze flew to me, anger laced in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to get some information. Got a problem with that?" I spat as I stepped away from the wall taking a stance.

"You should be back at the mansion protecting your treasures. What if the mansion gets attacked while you're out gallivanting around?" Sesshomaru ground out as he threw a punch that caught my left cheek off guard.

I stumbled back into the wall and winced at the bruise that would undoubtedly grace my eye soon. "Who are you? And what is your purpose, you disgusting demon!" I shouted to the hunted demon turned spectator of my embarrassment. He was short, took the form of a young man with spiked red hair, and held the looks of a punk idiot, the bottom of the food chain of society.

"I am nothing to you, half-breed! However, a fate awaits you and that bitch you've been mating with that neither of you can prevent. My master knows where you reside, and knows what you hold within your chamber of love. Yes, he will kill your woman, obtain the jewel, kill you and then he will conquer this world!" The demon exclaimed as he leapt off onto the closest rooftop.

"Damn it!" Sesshomaru shouted as he turned to follow. Once I called after him, he turned and knocked me off my ass. I slid across the rocky concrete and my head slammed into the brick wall of the nearest building. "You will go back home. There's no way he's the only one spying now. Go!" He shouted and then leapt to follow to demon spy.

I lifted my bleeding head from the ground and sat up, only to hold my head to get my bearings after that nasty hit. "Ow…Shit…How the fuck does he think I'm gonna just run home after that?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the mansion:

Kouga and Kagome began to feel a presence unlike any other they'd ever experienced. Kouga held Kagome close, and instructed her to grab hold of the jewel to keep it purified. She gripped the prized ball in her fist and fell into the safety of the wolf demon's arms.

His sense of smell told him that they were surrounded, both inside and around the perimeter of the mansion. "Damn it, where is that mutt?" Kouga panted as he tensed, ready for battle.

"Kouga, I trust you…" At those words, the shoji behind them slid open, and the unfamiliar energy pattern filled the room as the breeze blew out the candles masking the smell from earlier.

"I see, the half demon is not here. So you, a mere wolf cub thinks you can protect the jewel and the weak priestess from me?" The wolf and woman turned to see a formidable demon taller than even Sesshomaru. The energy he emanated out-ranked even the Dog Demon Lord himself. Kouga, though he held Kagome in his arms, began to tremble involuntarily at the energy alone. _'Where are those damn mutts when I need 'em?'_

* * *

Meanwhile, from the alleyway:

Inuyasha rose after a few minutes of gaining his sight and rushed back the way he came, deciding that he could leave the small fry to Sesshomaru. At that point, after hearing the spy's words, he felt a foreboding feeling that he indeed should have stayed behind. As he rushed, he didn't care if people could see his demon features as he weaved in and out of the crowds.

He made his way as quickly as he could to the forest leading towards the mansion as his instincts showed he was indeed correct. Someone made their way to the mansion in his absence. And not just one being, but enough to surround the abode. He rushed through the trees, jumping from branch to branch, as the scent got stronger.

"Kagomeeee! Hang on! I'm on my way!"

* * *

I know…Bad cliffy, bad cliffy. I don't want you to think I did this on purpose. This was where my visions ended, for now anyways ;-). So, I certainly hope this chapter was enjoyable, since it was a few months in the making. Thanks again for your patience, and I certainly hope to have this fic wrapped up soon, in one or two more chapters I believe. So, 'till then, ja ne!


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

It has certainly been quite a while since I've actually began working on a new chapter for anything, really. I really apologize for the wait, but this chapter unfortunately will bring us closer to the inevitable end of this story. I certainly hope that the chapters from this point on will be action packed and enjoyable for you all. Thanks again for your support, as well as your patience.

**Chapter 17**

Kagome panted; the demon towering over both her and Kouga overwhelmed the room with an immense negative presence. The demon's aura alone caused the air to feel heavy. After a few moments of breathing in the corrupted air, Kagome knelt down coughing. Kouga knelt down beside her and held her shoulders in his hands. "Kagome, are you all right?"

"N-no…Kouga…I…can't breathe." She choked out between coughs.

"It's this terrible aura you're emitting that's affecting her." Kouga turned his gaze to the intruder, and stood up. "What is it you want anyways? I don't even have a clue who you are."

"It's obvious what I'm here for, Kouga. I am here for the jewel of course." The unwelcome demon stated with a straight face.

"And what makes you think you will get it from us?"

"Oh, seeing the girl cower on the floor behind you gives me an indication of how strong my aura is compared to the priestess. Taking the jewel from her should be easier than you could imagine."

"Really…" Kouga trailed off. "Kagome, you know what you can do."

"Kouga…Mm." Kagome grasped the jewel through her shirt and projected a barrier around her and the jewel.

"Humph…Clever indeed. But that won't stop me from killing you to get to her, Kouga of the dying wolf tribe." The demon lifted his right hand, signaling to his underlings to leave the room. Shimarayama stepped to the side to gain some space. He raised his sinewy arms and intensified his aura.

Kouga raised his arm to cover his face to counter the blast of aura streaming towards him. The stench was overwhelming and it threatened to erode Kouga's aura. Kouga glanced to see that Kagome remained unharmed from the energy. _'I'm glad she's okay. As long as that barrier continues to strengthen, she'll be safe.'_

At that conclusion, Kouga leaped toward the beast and caught him off guard. Shimarayama stumbled a bit and Kouga took the cheap shot to punch him in the face. The demon read his move, lifted his hands at the last second and knocked his hand away, causing Kouga's hand and shoulder to fly against the wall.

Shimarayama reached for Kouga, turned him around, grabbed him by the neck and squeezed as he lifted him from the floor. Kouga kicked with his legs and his hands tried to work the demon's hand from his neck to free himself from the grip. At the second shot with his left leg, Kouga knocked his assailant back and then crumbled to the ground coughing and inhaled the air.

*

(Inuyasha's POV)

Once I arrived at the mansion, I saw some unfamiliar demons surrounding the grounds. I emerged from the trees punching and growling. I took care of them all quickly and made my way to Kagome. I could smell the stench from a mile away. The scent reeked of only one enemy- Naraku.

I ran down the hall and caught a glimpse of the offender. I stopped abruptly only to see him fly past me- obviously Kouga kicked him away. I ran around the corner to see Kouga choking on his knees and Kagome back in the corner surrounded by the aura of the jewel. I stood panting as a smile of thanks spread across my face. I was glad to know she was smart enough to use the jewel that way. If I couldn't touch her now then neither could he.

I turned to see the intruder standing at the doorway panting, with a bruise forming on his flawless face. "Who are you? Where the hell did you come from, and why the fuck do you smell like Naraku?"

"I am Shimarayama, the last and final incarnation of Naraku."

"I thought Kikyo and I destroyed all his kin." I recollected.

Kouga shook his head and said, "Apparently you didn't."

"Well then, answer my second question." I commanded of the incarnation.

"I was sealed back in the mountain overshadowed by Mt. Fuji. I wanted to regain my father's reputation from you at the time of my creation, but he sealed me against my will before he was cast away himself. I'm his last hope of defeating you if the jewel ever resurfaced again."

"And how the hell do you plan to do that? Do you need the jewel to do it?"

"Yes. I am to send that priestess to him, down to hell where he resides, as that is his wish; to have Kikyo once and for all!"

"I won't let him have Kagome!" I glanced at the woman surrounded by the pure energy of the jewel. "You can try to touch that pure energy, but I guarantee that you will be harmed quite badly if you did. I may be a lesser half-demon, but I'll survive, where you'll die!"

"I won't be touching her like you would." Shimarayama lifted one arm and the shield containing Kagome rose from the ground. I turned with a gasp to see she had risen to my height. The demon beckoned with his hands and the energy ball floated past me to stop before him.

"Kagome!" I shouted when I saw ribbons of black spindle around the ball of energy. The ribbons began to connect and spread 'till they completely surrounded Kagome and the jewel in a sheath of negative energy. I leaped at the floating ball of energy and grabbed a hold of it, only to be shot back across the room from the nasty jolt.

"What are you doing to her?" I growled.

"I am taking over the jewel; corrupting the energy. In a few moments, she will be mine to control."

"Not on my watch!" I shouted. I jumped over the black ball and hit him with a right hook. He fell to the floor with a grunt. I turned to try to reach Kagome. I put my hands on the ball and screamed out. "Kagome! Fight the darkness! Don't let it take you!"

"You fool she's already half-gone. Can't you feel her purity fail?"

"No…She's still got hope. I have faith in her purity. You can't win!" I grunted.

I put everything I could into my strength and knew it would be my undoing. Before I knew it, my hair darkened, and my claws turned to fingernail nails. "Yes! I knew it! Her purity still reaches me!" A bright light exploded into the room.

"What's happened?" Shimarayama asked.

I opened my eyes to see her, and noticed the two of us both surrounded by the purple and pink auras. I reached to embrace her and we worked hard to overcome the darkness surrounding us. "Kagome…"

"Inuyasha?" her eyes opened to find me right there with her. She embraced me back and her energy pulsed. The aura of the jewel intensified and purified the dark completely. "You came back, Inuyasha."

"I couldn't leave you for long. Actually, I'm sorry I left you."

Kagome reached out and ran her hand through my long black tresses. "You sacrificed your strength for me?"

"Anything to keep you from his clutches." Just then, the aura changed again. He was trying to do it again. The dark ribbons began to spread quickly. We fought hard to purify whatever energy he tried to feed the jewel. "Kagome, you need to do it."

"Do what?"

"You need to make a wish, Kagome. Wish something innocent!"

"But I have nothing to wish for!"

"Here, connect with me. We'll do it together; otherwise you and I will be sacrificed by the jewel." I placed my forehead to hers and our minds intertwined. We felt each other's souls and looked for something we wanted most.

It seemed she was content with me alone; however, there was one thing I wanted more than any thing. _'Kagome, wish this with me. I wish to be with you as a human.'_

'_Inuyasha, no! You'll die!'_

'_Not right away, but eventually, as will you.'_

'_But why?'_

'_It's what I wanted with Kikyo, and never achieved. It's the only way, Kagome. I have to become human.'_

'_But, what if you become human and it remains?'_

'_I don't know what will happen, but we need to do something pure.'_

'_Can't we just send this monster where he belongs?'_

'_No. That's what the jewel wants you to do. Kagome, if we wish for that, your pure energy and soul will be the catalyst to send him there, and I will be left behind once again. I can't bare that to happen again, Kagome.'_

I held her cheek in my hand and begged her with my eyes as she closed hers and a tear fell. _'I can't, Inuyasha. As soon as the jewel is used, he'll kill you. Don't you see? You're my protector! How could I wish you to be vulnerable?'_

'_I don't care about my life, Kagome! I want to save yours!'_

'_I'll be fine.' _Her eyes opened and I suddenly found myself ejected from the ball of energy and on my butt on the floor.

"Lover's spat?" the offender quipped, as I stood tall and seethed.

"Shut up!" I shouted. I lunged at him, and slapped the ball of energy away from his reach. I knocked him off his block effortlessly as my demon aura flared with my transformation.

"You're back to your original form."

"Yes, now that Kagome's not purifying my energy."

He gained a smug look as he beckoned for Kagome once again. I made to kick him, and caused him to step out into the hallway. I did what I could to push him towards the Dojo. I heard Kouga shout something, but I couldn't make it out. After a couple minutes of punching and kicking, I plunged my claws into my arm and threw blades of blood at him, causing him to loose his sight and his footing.

Once into the Dojo, I leaped to grab my Tetsussaiga from the shelf on the wall. I drew the blade, and swept at his torso drawing blood. He shouted in pain, and was finally distracted from Kagome. I continued to fight without stopping, cutting the demon to ribbons; his blood covered the floor making it red and sticky.

A few moments later, I was knocked off my feet and thrown across the Dojo floor. I slid about a foot through the demon's blood and gained my wits to see it was Sesshomaru who knocked me away. "Why did you do that? I was winning, you ass hole!"

"Do you see? There's a cloud of miasma filling this room. Look, it's turning the aura around Kagome darker. You're making matters worse, you imbecile."

"Fuck you! If you hadn't interfered, I would have found his weakness! Wait, how did Kagome get in here?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you! She was trailing behind because he called to her!" Kouga shouted at me.

"Can't you tell? This demon is drawn to the jewel for a reason!" My brother stared me down with a look colder than ice.

"And what's going through your head, Mr. Perfect?" I asked picking myself up.

"That he is meant to be cast away, and he's meant to take Kagome with him to hell."

"I know that already, and I won't let him! There's gotta be another way!"

"There isn't any other way!"

I turned and lifted my blade to the intruder's neck and said, "There's always a weakness…Even if I have to chop off your head, I am saving Kagome." I looked into his poker face and said, "I'll never let you take her away from me."

"It's too late, Inuyasha. The jewel has already chosen her. She's already a part of the jewel, and she wants you with her. All the jewel wants is for my wish to be clear and we are to be cast back to Naraku where we belong," Shimarayama chided.

"No! I'll stop you!"

"You can't! Naraku's wish is absolute!" Just then, energy flowed from Shimarayama's hands to embrace Kagome and the shield once again. I screamed out and cast Kaze no Kizu, obliterating him to a splatter on the floor. Once the air cleared, I sank to the floor to pant.

"It's over…" I whispered as I slid my blade back into the sheath.

"I'm not so sure…" I opened my eyes to see energy whirl into a tornado just feet away form me. I lifted my arm to protect my eyes from the wind. Then before my eyes, he stood once again as if nothing had touched him.

"What the fuck?" I spat in shock.

"You can't destroy me that easily, hanyou. Can't you sense the connection?"

"What connection?" I spat. I looked to him and then to Kagome.

"They're connected, brother. Each he surrounded Kagome with his aura, she had to fight it off. If this continues, it will be harder for Kagome to fight his aura. She will soon be consumed by his powerful energy and succumb to the jewel itself."

"Not if we find a way to get her away from him!" I shouted. I tossed the sword at Sesshomaru, took Kagome into my hands once again, and left the Dojo as I struggled with pain from purification.

"Kouga!" I shouted as I ran. "Help me!" Once I reached the outer point of the mansion, Shimarayama's underlings had us surrounded. I began to literally kick butt to help Koga destroy the rest of the underlings.

"What is your plan?" Koga asked. I filled him in as we fled the mansion with Kagome in my hands.

"Shit! So we have to protect her and keep her away from him?"

"Yes. I have to find a way to get her to leave the aura of the jewel. She needs to regain her strength because he's trying to wear her down. If I don't get her out of there she will become one with the jewel."

Once we felt safe, we set her down and I embraced the barrier and then entered as before to contact her. _'Kagome, you're safe now, but you need to drop the barrier. Let go of the jewel and regain your energy before it consumes you.'_

'_Okay.'_ A moment later, the barrier dropped and she fell into my arms out cold. I embraced her tightly and Koga looked away to keep watch for any more stragglers.

*

This sounded like a god spot to end this one, but I am editing the next installment. So, no hard feelings, right? Ja!


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own Inuyasha & Co.**

Now, I know…Bad place to end the last chapter, but I think this one will help quench your thirst for more Avoidance. Also, this chapter will be in third person perspective. For some reason, I started this chapter that way, and continued, without thinking about it. It just flowed so well, I decided not to correct it. So, read on, and I certainly hope you enjoy it. And

**Chapter 18**

After his brother left with the orb and the wolf, Sesshomaru stood before the exit and faced the intruder with cold eyes. "I take it to get to your brother, I must get through you." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I will never let you have what you desire."

"And what do you have to gain from doing so? If I remember correctly, from what father spoke of you, you had no interest in the jewel whatsoever."

"Naraku was correct to tell you that. However, my interests have changed over the past 500 years. Now, if my lands are in danger, the person threatening it's people will have to get through me." Sesshomaru challenged.

Shimarayama stepped to the left as the eye contact between them continued fiercely. "I know of your ward; Rin is her name."

"And what of her?" Sesshomaru stated simply without a flinch.

"I know where you've left her remains." The look on the intruder's face changed to mischief.

"Rin has been dead for centuries. What could you possibly do to her now?" Sesshomaru divulged and shifted to face him.

"I am able to torture those who have once died. You see, I have the power to resurrect souls from the far reaches of the spirit world. I'm sure your Rin would be an easy task."

"And you would find that amusing how?"

"Just to see some emotion grace that stern face of yours. That alone would bring me joy. From the stories my father told me, you were quite fun to agitate, and kidnapping Rin was brilliant." Sesshomaru didn't flinch.

"That was another thing my father warned me about. You are definitely hard to read, I'm sure once I bring Rin into this, that will change." Shimarayama smiled and released a maniacal laugh.

"At this point, Rin is not the issue. The issue is whether you get past me. If not, then you won't be able to threaten Rin."

"I see. You're a logical thinker. Then I will have to just go for the throat." Shimarayama blinked and smirked as his nails grew. Sesshomaru stood squared with his opponent, his arm at his side.

Shimarayama lunged forward, Sesshomaru dodged his swipe easily as he turned and ducked another. _'He fights like my brother. He needs to do better than that to even scratch me.'_ Sesshomaru unleashed his poison whip and snapped it sharp, leaving a mark on his opponent's face.

The tall intruder stopped moving only to touch the wound on his left cheek. He looked at his finger and sopped up the blood with his long tongue. He made eye contact with Sesshomaru again as the blood seeped from the vertical slit beneath his left eye. "You cut me; bad idea." Shimarayama growled and his chin pressed into his chest. Sesshomaru stood unmoved as the demon before him became a beast.

After a moment, he looked up and red eyes met Sesshomaru's. "Now you've caused me to yearn for bloodshed."

(Meanwhile, in the forest)

Inuyasha sat against a nearby tree with Kagome's head rested in his lap. "I guess once Kagome released the barrier, they lost her position." Koga said, breaking the silence.

"No." Koga looked behind him to meet Inuyasha's golden gaze. "I believe Sesshomaru got in his way."

"I wonder. It's been hours, and yet not a single minion came to hassle us." Koga said and sat down next to the small campfire they started a short while ago.

"I'm just glad Sesshomaru is giving us the time needed for Kagome to rest. That bastard took a lot out of her." Inuyasha sighed while his hand tenderly stroked her long bangs away from her eyebrows.

"She has been out for quite some time. What's the next course of action? I mean, I refuse to allow that intruder to fulfill his destiny. Is there any way we can break his hold on the jewel and Kagome?" Koga connected his worried gaze with Inuyasha's.

"Honestly, I tried to convince her to wish me human, and she refused. She's afraid the first thing he'd do is kill me because I'd be powerless."

"Do you really want that? If I remember correctly, your original plan was to become fully demon. At least, that's what the rumors were five hundred years ago." Koga recollected and stoked the fire with a stick.

"You're right. However, times have changed. I refuse to live alone again. I can't suffer another loss. I let Kagome in, and she's healed my heart. Now, I can't imagine my life alone anymore." Inuyasha ran the back of his right hand down her right cheek.

"I agree with you. I'm fond of her presence as well." Koga looked up and watched the tree branches sway gently in the breeze.

"We can't let him win. I'll do anything. I love Kagome, and I refuse to let Naraku have her. Kagome does not deserve oblivion, and I can't wait for her to be reincarnated again. I've lived far too long to think I can wait another five hundred or more years." Inuyasha shook his head and grit his teeth behind his taught lips.

"I'm with you on that one. Not only that, but if we defeat Shimarayama now, then Naraku will have lost everything and will be left as he should be- alone." Inuyasha chuckled. "What?" Kouga asked.

"Nothing. It's just, I never thought we'd be fighting side by side together against a common enemy, when just hours ago, we were fighting each other like animals over Kagome's affection."

"I know. Ironic." They eyed each other for a few moments with crooked smiles.

Kagome moaned quietly, and shifted her position. The demons watched her roll onto her right side and bury her head in Inuyasha's lap, her hands gripping his red hakama. Koga looked away to give them privacy and chose to watch the perimeter for intruders and minions.

About an hour later, Kagome shifted again and opened her eyes to see red. She lifted herself slightly and noticed she was eying Inuyasha's lap. She gasped when she noticed where her head was resting and heard Inuyasha grunt softly. She lifted her gaze to see Inuyasha smile at her.

"Interesting. You still blush after our time together earlier." His smile widened with love.

"I know. I guess I'm still not used to the idea. Sorry, Inuyasha." Kagome lowered her gaze to her right hand.

"It's okay, Kagome. If you wish to be with me at any point, I'll be willing." He replied tenderly and his hand caressed her right cheek.

Kagome lifted her gaze to his warm pools of admiration. "I...I love you, Inuyasha. But, why is it I feel so nervous when you look at me that way?"

"I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Did I say something wrong?" Inuyasha lowered his hand onto her shoulder.

"It's not your fault. I just...I don't know."

"We can take it slow, if you like. I'm just glad you chose to be with me." Kagome smiled. "How do you feel about being with me?"

"I don't think I could choose another. However, I'm wondering if what's drawing my soul to you is due to being Kikyo's reincarnation."

"Who knows. To be honest, I don't really care about the past anymore. You and the jewel are all I care about now. Now that I have someone to protect, I have a purpose again." Inuyasha eyed her with confidence.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Kagome sat up and looked around the camp for the first time. "Koga's here?"

"Hey, Kagome. How do you feel? You must be exhausted." The wolf crossed the camp.

"Yeah, but I'm still alive."

"How's your energy level? I've felt a shift, and I'm not feeling a strong aura about you." Inuyasha gestured towards her.

"You're right." Kagome pulled the jewel from her pocket and eyed it's glistening form in her right hand. "It glows brighter than it did before I let it protect me last night."

"You mean..." Inuyasha stopped abruptly

"I'm afraid so. Each time I join with the jewel, it collects my energy and I slowly become one with the jewel." Kagome explained.

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders. "Kagome, you must give me the jewel! I refuse to let you be used that way!"

"It's not your choice, Inuyasha. I am already a part of the jewel." Kagome replied in a low tone.

"No..." Inuyasha gritted his teeth as his hands and claws gripped her shoulders.

"There's nothing we can do, since the only way I can be protected is by the jewel itself." Kagome replies.

"There must be another way! I must become Human! I've told you before that you should not handle the jewel in a wish! Your wish is already becoming the jewel's wish!"

Koga slapped Inuyasha. "What the hell was that for?"

"You were hurting her!" Koga pointed her way. Inuyasha looked to see Kagome grip her shoulders in pain.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I just...I can stand to lose you!" Inuyasha began to struggle emotionally.

"Inuyasha, you have to listen to me. Shimarayama wants you to wish on the jewel! That is what Naraku wants! That way, Naraku will get his hands on you!"

"I don't think so, Kagome. I will never be pray to him."

"As long as you stay alive, you won't." Kagome eyed him in frustration.

"Why are you afraid for me? I've lived so long, you have no idea how hard it's been for me! I'd rather die than live without you!" Inuyasha shouted, pain flared in his eyes.

Kagome's eyes watered. "You'd rather die? You know we can't be together as long as Shimarayama seeks to destroy me and the jewel! I know my purpose. Inuyasha, it's to save you!"

"I can take care of myself. You need to live, Kagome!"

"Kagome, Inuyasha's right. We need to find a way to keep you alive, and to defeat Shimarayama. Give us some time, and we'll find another way." Koga offered.

"But, I've asked the jewel what our options are, and the jewel told me that only my sacrifice can defeat Shimarayama. One thing you don't know, Inuyasha, is the jewel communicates with me, and I asked it many questions. It said that only my pure energy mixed with the jewel can send him to oblivion. Because a part of him exists in Naraku, his energy comes from Hell! Naraku has control of him, even here!"

Inuyasha and Koga gasped. "I have no choice, Inuyasha. You can protect me to buy time, but only a little."

"Wait...If Naraku controls him from Hell, then there is another way, Kagome!"

"What?" Koga asked.

"I alone can send him to Naraku without sacrificing you, Kagome." Inuyasha grinned at her.

_'Uh oh...Somehow I don't like the look in his eyes...'_ She thought.

*

I know, it's been quite some time, and it's been just as frustrating for me. It's taken over six months for me to finally finish this baby! Now, the question is, what is going through Inuyasha's mind? How will he defeat Shimarayama? I will begin the next chapter shortly, and I plan to have it posted very soon here. So, stay tuned!


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own Inuyasha & Company**

Well, this chapter was certainly a long time coming, but I am glad to announce that this chapter is extra long, and is also the last chapter of Avoidance. So, I hope you have enjoyed this fic, and thanks again, everyone, for the encouragement to continue. Lemon Warning!

**Chapter 19**

(Inuyasha's POV)

The idea had to work! As soon as I heard Kagome's explanation, I knew we had a chance to outsmart the jewel. I grabbed the bewildered girl and ran back towards the mansion. Koga kept asking me what we were doing.

"Shut up! Just follow us! I have a great idea, but we need to get back in time!"

"Inuyasha, what is this plan of yours?" Kagome panted and worked hard to keep up.

"We need Sesshomaru to wield a sword! That's all!"

"That's all? Why didn't this occur to you when we were at the mansion?" Koga closed the distance behind me.

"Because it didn't occur to me at that time! Getting Kagome away from there was most important then!" I stopped suddenly and knelt down before her. "Get on, Kagome."

She climbed onto my back and we shot off quickly through the trees.

A short time later, we arrived a the mansion to see the dojo almost destroyed, and no one in it. I cursed and ran up to the swords.

"Where's Sesshomaru? Wait, one of the swords is missing." I knelt down and Kagome stepped up beside me.

"They took the fight outside, and it looks like he took his sword with him." I stood up and lifted Tetsussaiga from the middle shelf of the rack.

"Is the sword you spoke about the one missing?" Koga walked up behind me as I removed the sword from it's sheath to inspect it, set it back in and then handed it to Kagome.

"No, he took Tenseiga, and I will ask Sesshomaru to wield Sounga."

"Sounga?" I grabbed the sword, tied the sheath to the tsuba with the long lacing and held it before Koga.

"You want me to carry it?"

"Yes, while I carry Kagome on my back. We need to hurry!" I knelt before her again, she climbed on and we jolted off through the battered doors to follow the path of destruction.

After running through a trampled forest for over a mile in the dark, I caught sight of an explosion. "We're almost there!" I kicked up the speed.

"Good! Oh my God! Inu, something's wrong with Koga!"

"What?!" I slid to a stop and looked over my shoulder. "Shit! The sword is breaking the seal!"

I set Kagome down. "Kagome, stay here and do not to approach him!"

I ran to him and stopped when his eyes focused on me. They'd turned red, and drool dripped from his teeth as he growled like an agitated wolf. The seal on the sword broke in a blinding light and entangled it's tentacles into his hand and slithered around his arm all the way up to his elbow, causing Koga to double over in pain.

"Koga!" I ran up to him and took hold of the tsuba to try and pry it away from him. A moment later, the tentacles had adhered to his limb. He cried out in pain again.

"Hold still!" I removed Tetsussaiga from it's sheath and it transformed into the fang.

"Inuyasha, what are you going to do?" Kagome came a bit closer than where I left her.

"Kagome! Stay Back!" I held out my hand to get her to stop.

"You're not going to cut off his arm, are you?!"

"I got no choice!" Kagome got to me and held my arm back. "Let me go!"

"No! What's the sword doing to him?"

"The sword chose him as it's host. I need to detach the sword from him, and the only way to do that is to cut off his arm!"

"You will not harm Koga!" Kagome left me and ran to him.

"Come back, Kagome!" I took off after her and just reached her as Koga growled and started to swing the sword at her. I pushed her over and stopped his swing with my sword.

"You took my prey." Koga's intense red eyes bore into my soul.

"You're not to harm her!" I knocked him over.

I pulled Kagome to her feet and ran toward the fight in the distance. "What are we doing? We have to help Koga!"

"I can't help him; not on my own! I was hoping to avoid this, but now we have no choice! We need Sesshomaru's help!"

Once we go into range of the fight, I stopped and turned to see Koga not far behind, still seething. I looked up into the tree above and stepped around the trunk and jumped up to a branch out of sight. I let Kagome down beside me and watched as Koga ran right for the fight ahead.

Koga slashed at Sesshomaru. He dodged Koga's attack and took a step away from the wolf. Shimarayama stopped his attack and watched Koga go after Sesshomaru. My ears perked up at his comment, "This is Inuyasha's fault."

"Tsch...You Jerk."

"What?"

"He has already blamed me without even asking what happened."

"Well, you did hand him the sword, didn't you?"

"Tsch...Yeah, but I didn't know this would happen! The seal broke! How was I supposed to know it would break while he held it?" I turned back to watch the fight when Sesshomaru dodged another attack and then lept into the air toward us.

"Shit!" I grabbed Kagome and lept from the tree to the ground.

Sesshomaru flew toward us, grabbed my neck and lifted me off the ground as I choked. "You idiot! You gave the sword to him!"

"I didn't know this would happen."

"No low rank demon can wield this sword, not even you. Only our father was able to control this demonic sword because of his demonic power level."

"Sounga is the only means of sending that incarnation to the underworld."

"You're wrong. That sword is not the only one that can send him to oblivion." He dropped me and flew toward Koga as I gasped in air.

Kagome knelt and put her arms around me as I coughed. "What did he mean by that?"

We waited and watched Sesshomaru's actions for a few moments. Suddenly, he was behind Koga, his whip wrapped around his body. "Inuyasha, remove the sword's hold."

I stood and looked to Kagome. "Stay here. I promise, I won't cut off his arm."

I ran over as I pulled Tetsussaiga from its sheath. Once I got to him, I grabbed the sword's tsuba and rammed the untransformed Tetsussaiga under the tentacles. Koga screamed as I turned the sword and cut the ties. Once his arm and hand were freed, he dropped the sword. I morphed Tetsussaiga and hit the sword away. It flipped in the air and landed blade first into the grass a short distance away from Koga. Sesshomaru released his poison whip and Koga hit the ground from exhaustion.

"Well done, brother." Sesshomaru walked toward Shimarayama and drew Tenseiga.

"What are you going to do? Cut him alive?" He stood before the demon and made eye contact.

Shimarayama snickered. "I heard about your sword. According to what father said, the sword you received from your father could bring the dead to life, but could not cut down an enemy. He said he never saw you draw that sword during battles with you."

"Back then, I was not able to attack with this sword. But that has changed since his demise." Sesshomaru kept his cool facade.

"Sesshomaru, this is ludicrous! Grab Sounga!" I pointed toward the red-glowing blade sticking out of the ground.

"I do not need that blade. Watch and learn, brother." I shut my mouth and paid close attention.

"Meido Sangetsuha." Suddenly a portal opened behind Shimarayama.

"A path to the underworld!" My eyes opened wide in surprise.

Sesshomaru stood before the portal and Shimarayama and did not show any signs of attacking the demon. I ran forward and lifted Tetsussaiga for a full swing.

Shimarayama braced himself for my attack. I closed the gap and took a swing. He grabbed my sword and stopped me mid-swing. I grunted as I put my body behind the sword. "You thought you could push me into this portal?"

"That was the plan." I growled to gain more strength.

"Pitiful fool." He pushed me back.

I lifted Tetsussaiga and swung sending a Kaze no Kizu at him. As the blasts of light came his way, he dodged them before they reached him. I took my left hand and sank my claws into my right arm. I flung Blades of Blood his way only for his arms to get cut up. I sank Tetsussaiga into its sheath, closed the distance and threw a right hook at his smiling face. He stepped back only slightly.

I threw punch after punch at him, causing him to back up five feet. His back was very close. I lept up and kicked him in the gut. He doubled over and grabbed my leg.

"Shit!" I struggled to free my foot from his grasp as the portal began to pull him in. I lost my footing and hit the ground face first. I dug my fingers into the soil.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome grabbed my wrists and braced her feet against the soil.

Sesshomaru released his poison whip and snapped it on Shimarayama's arms to get him to release my foot. "NO! I will not let go!"

"Get off me you asshole!" I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I will not lose!" Another snap of the whip set more poison into his right arm.

"You have already lost." Sesshomaru ran to the portal, grabbed his exposed right arm and set a more concentrated poison into his flesh.

The demon screamed as his arm melted beneath Sesshomaru's grip. A few moments later, his left forearm's bone disintegrated and fell to the ground. His right arm lost its grip on my foot.

Kagome immediately pulled me a few feet away from the portal. We sat in the grass and watched the incarnation disappear into the portal to the underworld. A moment later, Sesshomaru turned his back on the portal, it shrank away and disappeared.

I fell onto my back panting. "It's over." I closed my eyes.

Kagome knelt beside me and ran her soft thin fingers over my left cheek. "Are you okay Inuyasha?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." I opened my eyes and saw a smile form on her lips. I raised my left hand to press hers to my lips for a kiss.

"It's not over yet." I looked over to my right and saw Sesshomaru standing a few feet from Sounga.

I could hear the sword's pleas for a demon nearby to wield it. I released Kagome's hand and stood up. "Stay here, Kagome."

I made my way toward the sword in the ground. I looked at Sesshomaru beside me. "Are you able to put Sounga back into it's sheath?"

"I do not know. I've never handled this sword before."

"I'll go get the sheath." I turned and walked toward Koga. He was still laying on his side in the grass. I walked up beside him and saw the sheath on the ground a distance away.

I knelt beside him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Koga, are you all right?"

"The wounds won't stop bleeding. Is it over?" He looked over his shoulder and surveyed the scene.

"Not yet. The incarnation is gone, but now we need to take care of Sounga. I'm sorry about what happened Koga."

"Don't worry about it. You saved my life, so I owe you one."

"Kagome! Come help Koga, his arm needs tending to."

"I'm coming, Koga!" She ran quickly to his side.

I walked the short distance, picked up Sounga's sheath and headed back to Sesshomaru. "Here." I held the sheath out to him.

He took the sheath and stepped up to the afflicted sword. He grasped the hilt and lifted it from the soil. The demonic aura flared from the sword. He grunted to harness the demonic energy and a moment later, it dissipated and the sword went quiet. I breathed a sigh of relief as he slid the quiet blade into it's protective sheath and then tied it to the tsuba with the lacing once again.

Without a word, Sesshomaru left the scene with Sounga in hand. I walked over to Kagome and Koga and did what I could to help. Kagome tore her right long sleeve from her shirt and wrapped it around his upper arm as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding on his right forearm.

I helped him up, and knelt before him. "Get on, Koga."

"Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not. You're hurt and exhausted. Plus, if you move too much, you'll lose too much blood out of that arm of yours. So, get on!" He reluctantly climbed onto my back and we walked back to the mansion.

"Where's Sesshomaru?"

I looked and noticed Tenseiga and Sounga were set back on the rack where they belonged. "He's gone."

"He didn't give us the chance to thank him for saving all of us." Kagome followed me as I continued through the dojo and down the hall towards the first bedroom.

"He's not the kind of guy to accept or even care about anyone giving him thanks for his deeds. I'm just glad he didn't give me more of a beating for handing Sounga to Koga. As far as I'm concerned, he let me off the hook." I slid the bedroom shoji open and knelt down to let Koga step away from my back and lay down.

"You're brother is interesting. You two are nothing alike, save for the eyes and hair." Kagome sat down beside Koga to inspect the wound.

"I'll be right back with supplies." I turned and left the room. I headed down the hall and back to the dojo to grab bandages and ointment.

When I arrived back, Kagome had the tourniquet off and was putting pressure on the large wound on his forearm. I sat beside her and undid the wrapping from the bandages and she opened the container of salve. I laid out a long stretch of bandage and she scooped the salve and smoothed it over his long wound. Once the wound was covered, I set one end of the long bandage strip onto the top end of the wound and lifted his arm. Once I'd properly wrapped his arm and hand with the bandage, I tied it off and he flexed his hand to test the comfort.

"Ah, that feels much better. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Koga." I stood and started to leave the room.

"What are you going to do now, Koga?" Kagome was still at his side.

I turned and looked at Koga. "I think I'll go back to Ginta and Hakaku. After everything that's happened, I think it's best if we part ways."

"Good idea, Koga. Now that everything's as it should be, it would be great for us if we just moved on and forget all that happened."

"Forget everything that's happened?" Kagome looked from him to me. "I know I'll never be able to forget what happened today, or even yesterday."

"Look, Kagome. It's over! Koga has no purpose here now that you're safe, right Koga?"

"I guess you could say that. But, what about you, Kagome? Are you going back to your apartment?"

"I can't." She looked to her hands in her lap.

"Why not?" I crossed the room and knelt beside her.

"I don't want to be on my own anymore." She looked up at me. "Inuyasha, can I stay with you?"

"Why?"

"Well, haven't we gone through enough to know that we're meant for each other? Plus, since all the strife is over, there's nothing to worry about, right?"

I looked to her hands in her lap. "Well, not necessarily now that you mention it. The jewel is still here with us." I rested my hand on her chest to feel the ball of energy close to her left breast.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well, since the worst is behind us, there's only one thing to do." I reached into her shirt and grabbed the jewel. I held it up before my eyes. "All we can do is to purify the jewel. I will wish on it to become human."

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome wrapped her hands over mine and the jewel.

"Why not?"

"Because...I love you as you are!" Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes.

"You..." I gasped. "You love me as I am? Even though you will age while I stay the same? Kagome, I want to die with you, not be left behind after you've lived long enough."

Koga stood up. "Well, I can see where this may be going. So, I'm going to take my leave."

Kagome shifted her eyes to him "Oh, goodbye, Koga. And thank you for all you've done."

"You're welcome! See you guys again soon!" He made his way out of the room and walked down the hall to the entrance of the mansion.

"Inuyasha, I know that you fear being left behind once more, but I would miss the things about you I've come to love. I love how you look as a half demon, almost more than when you're human like me. I want you to know how I feel about you as a whole. I love everything about you."

"Kagome, I've lived over 500 years. I don't want to live after your death. Not only that, but with the jewel here, we'll need to protect it from any sort of spirit within a hundred miles of this mansion. It's a full time job doing just that, Kagome. Plus, I don't want you to be at risk anymore."

To stop her from responding, and to show her my affection for her, I set the jewel down and held her hands in my right hand tightly to my chest. I embraced her to me with my left arm and kissed her hard. She tasted so good. It felt as if the rest of the world didn't exist. She kissed me back with the same pressure and my hand let her hands slip over my chest and up to wrap around my neck. She pressed her chest firmly to mine and I fell back to the floor. Our legs intertwined as the kiss grew steadily more passionate.

As we kissed I rolled us over and I covered her small physique with my long and muscular body. She moaned excitedly and we progressed into a more passionate embrace as the jewel shined on the floor adjacent to us. So caught up in the moment, I just didn't give a damn if a demon sensed the jewel. I was going to enjoy this loving time with Kagome, and nobody was going to distract me. Just moments after beginning the kiss, skin embraced skin heatedly.

"Oh, Kagome...I can't live without you...I will kill myself to follow you if I have to." With a jerk of my hips, I moaned in ecstasy. Kagome ran her hand lovingly through my long silver tresses. I grasped her hips, kissed her hard and we continued for the rest of the night.

_'Kagome, I love you...more than I love myself.'_

*

Well that was it! It's been fun working on this story, and it's come to be one of my favorites I've written so far. I'm going to miss getting into Inuyasha's head, and it's been quite the journey, hasn't it? He is ultimately the best muse for a writer to have, and I will miss writing him in first person.

Also, it was brought to my attention that the writing in the previous chapters needs some doctoring regarding conversation sentence tags. I completely agree, and I have been going over the previous chapters to alleviate that. With the tutoring I've received over the past year, I came to learn to write effectively, as you probably have noticed the changes steadily appearing in the later chapters. So, have no fear, I will be uploading the revisions as soon as I'm finished revising all the earlier chapters. So, feel free to re-read the fic in the future if you like.


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